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Nebraska Residential Lease Agreement

Nebraska caps security deposits at one month's rent plus a pet deposit, returned within 14 days. Create a free lease agreement; attorney review optional.

Introduction

A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord (the lessor) and a tenant (the lessee) that sets the rent, the term, the security deposit, and each party's responsibilities for a rental home, and spells out how the tenancy ends. In Nebraska, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), Neb. Rev. Stat. Sections 76-1401 to 76-1449, governs most residential leases. Nebraska caps a security deposit at one month's periodic rent, plus an optional pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's rent, and requires the landlord to return the balance with a written itemization (an itemized list of any deductions) within 14 days after the tenancy ends. Before or at the start of the tenancy, the landlord must disclose in writing the name and address of the property manager and the owner (or the owner's agent) for service of process and notices, and, for housing built before 1978, provide the federal lead-based paint disclosure. Except in an emergency or when impracticable, the landlord must give the tenant at least 24 hours' written notice before entering. Nebraska has no statewide rent control, and state law bars cities and counties from enacting their own rent-control ordinances. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord (lessor) and a tenant (lessee) that sets the rent, term, deposit, and each party's responsibilities for a Nebraska rental, and spells out how the tenancy ends.

  2. 2

    Nebraska caps a security deposit at one month's periodic rent, plus an optional pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's rent. The landlord must mail or deliver the balance and a written itemization within 14 days after the tenancy ends (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1416).

  3. 3

    Nebraska law requires the landlord to disclose in writing, at or before the start of the tenancy, the name and address of the person who manages the property and of the owner (or the owner's authorized agent) for service of process and notices (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1417). Federal law also requires a lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978.

  4. 4

    Except in an emergency or when it is impracticable, the landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering, stating the purpose and a reasonable window for entry (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1423).

  5. 5

    Nebraska's landlord-tenant act sets no statutory cap on late fees and no mandatory grace period for rent, so the lease itself must spell out any late-fee amount and grace period the parties agree to.

  6. 6

    Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice, or a week-to-week tenancy with at least 7 days' notice (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1437). Nebraska has no separate rent-increase-notice statute; a rent change on a periodic tenancy is delivered as a new termination notice under the same rule.

  7. 7

    Nebraska has no rent control anywhere in the state. A 2025 law (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 13-331) bars cities, villages, and counties from enacting rent-control ordinances on private property, with narrow exceptions for voluntary affordable-housing programs.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Residential Lease Agreement in Nebraska, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Residential Lease Agreement guide walks through them.

Open the Residential Lease Agreement guide

Customize your Residential Lease Agreement Template with DocDraft

NEBRASKA RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENT

  1. PARTIES AND PREMISES This Residential Lease Agreement (Agreement) is made on [DATE] between [LANDLORD NAME], the landlord (lessor), and [TENANT NAME], the tenant (lessee), for the residential property at [FULL RENTAL ADDRESS], Nebraska (the Premises).

  2. TERM [Choose one: This is a fixed-term tenancy beginning [START DATE] and ending [END DATE]. OR: This is a month-to-month tenancy beginning [START DATE].]

  3. RENT Tenant shall pay rent of $[AMOUNT] per month, due on the [DAY] of each month to [LANDLORD/PAYEE] by [METHOD]. The Nebraska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets no statutory cap on late fees and no mandatory grace period, so any late fee and grace period must be stated here: [LATE FEE AND GRACE PERIOD, IF ANY].

  4. SECURITY DEPOSIT Landlord may collect a security deposit not to exceed one month's periodic rent, plus an optional pet deposit not to exceed one-fourth of one month's rent if a pet is allowed. Tenant shall pay a deposit of $[AMOUNT]. Within 14 days after the tenancy ends, Landlord shall deliver or mail Tenant the balance of the deposit, if any, and a written itemization of deductions (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1416). Nebraska does not require the deposit be held in a separate account or earn interest.

  5. DISCLOSURES Landlord discloses, at or before the start of this tenancy, the name and address of the person who manages the Premises and of the owner or the owner's agent for service of process and notices, as Nebraska law requires (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1417): [NAME AND ADDRESS]. If the Premises was built before 1978, Landlord also provides the federal Lead-Based Paint disclosure and pamphlet (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d).

  6. ENTRY Except in an emergency or when impracticable, Landlord shall give Tenant at least 24 hours' written notice before entering the Premises, stating the purpose and a reasonable window for entry (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1423).

  7. MAINTENANCE AND USE Tenant shall keep the Premises clean and safe, use it only as a residence, and promptly notify Landlord of needed repairs. Landlord shall maintain the Premises in habitable condition and make repairs required by Nebraska law.

  8. TERMINATION Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice, or a week-to-week tenancy with at least 7 days' written notice (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1437). Nebraska's landlord-tenant act has no separate rent-increase-notice rule; a rent change on a periodic tenancy is delivered as a new termination notice under this same rule. Nebraska has no rent control; state law bars local rent-control ordinances on private property (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 13-331).

SIGNATURES _____________________ Landlord [DATE] _____________________ Tenant [DATE]

Note: This Agreement is governed by the Nebraska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. Sections 76-1401 to 76-1449. This is a compact Nebraska skeleton. For the complete, customizable template, see the full Residential Lease Agreement template.

Nebraska Requirements for Residential Lease Agreement

Security Deposit Cap and Pet Deposit

A Nebraska landlord may not demand a security deposit in excess of one month's periodic rent, though an additional pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's rent may be charged when a pet is appropriate (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1416).

Deposit Return and Itemization Within 14 Days

The landlord must deliver or mail the balance of the deposit, if any, and a written itemization (an itemized list of any deductions) to the tenant within 14 days after the tenancy ends (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1416). Willful noncompliance can expose the landlord to liquidated damages.

Landlord and Owner Name and Address Disclosure

At or before the start of the tenancy, the landlord must disclose in writing the name and address of the person managing the property and of the owner or the owner's authorized agent for service of process and notices (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1417).

Federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

For housing built before 1978, federal law requires the landlord to give the tenant a lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet before the lease is signed (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d). This applies in every state, including Nebraska.

24-Hour Written Entry Notice

Except in an emergency or when it is impracticable, the landlord must give the tenant at least 24 hours' written notice before entering, stating the purpose and a reasonable window for entry (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1423).

No Statutory Late-Fee Cap or Grace Period

The Nebraska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets no cap on late fees and no mandatory grace period for rent. Any late fee and grace period the parties agree to must be written into the lease itself to be enforceable.

Month-to-Month and Week-to-Week Termination Notice

Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice, or a week-to-week tenancy with at least 7 days' written notice (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1437). Nebraska has no separate rent-increase-notice statute; a rent change on a periodic tenancy is delivered as a new termination notice under this same rule.

No Rent Control Statewide

Nebraska has no rent control. State law bars cities, villages, and counties from enacting or enforcing rent-control ordinances on private property, with narrow exceptions for voluntary affordable-housing programs (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 13-331).

Frequently Asked Questions

A Nebraska lease should name the landlord and tenant, describe the rental property, and state the rent amount and due date, the term, and the security deposit. It should also cover the required disclosures (the landlord and owner's name and address, plus the federal lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing), the 24-hour entry-notice rule, and how either party ends the tenancy, since these all come from the Nebraska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

A Nebraska landlord cannot demand more than one month's periodic rent as a security deposit, though an additional pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's rent is allowed when a pet is permitted (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1416). Within 14 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must deliver or mail the balance, if any, along with a written itemization of deductions.

Yes. You can generate a Nebraska residential lease agreement at no cost using a free template, then customize the rent, term, and deposit details for your rental. Attorney review is available afterward as an option if you want a licensed attorney to look over the finished lease before you sign.

No. A residential lease is a private contract between landlord and tenant, and Nebraska law does not require a lease to be notarized or witnessed to be valid. Both parties simply sign and keep a copy. Notarization only becomes relevant for documents recorded with a county register of deeds, which a lease is not.

Generally no. Nebraska law requires the landlord to give the tenant at least 24 hours' written notice stating the purpose of entry and a reasonable window for it, except in a genuine emergency or when giving notice is impracticable (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1423). A lease cannot waive this notice requirement below what the statute allows.

Nebraska requires the landlord to disclose, in writing at or before the tenancy begins, the name and address of whoever manages the property and of the owner or the owner's authorized agent for service of process and notices (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1417). If the unit was built before 1978, federal law also requires a lead-based paint disclosure and pamphlet (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d).

Either the landlord or the tenant can end a month-to-month tenancy by giving the other at least 30 days' written notice before the next periodic rental date (Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 76-1437). A week-to-week tenancy needs only 7 days' written notice. Nebraska has no separate statute for rent-increase notice; a rent change on a periodic tenancy is delivered the same way, as a termination notice with a new rent term offered.

Nebraska's landlord-tenant act does not set a statutory cap on late fees or require any grace period before one applies. That means a late fee is enforceable only if the lease itself states the fee amount and when it applies, so tenants should check the lease for these terms rather than assume a state-mandated grace period exists.