What a Landlord Cannot Do in Nebraska
The main limits Nebraska law puts on landlords — lockouts and utility shutoffs, entering without notice, retaliation, deposits, fees and discrimination — each with the statute or official source.
In short: a Nebraska landlord cannot evict without a court order, cannot punish a tenant for asserting legal rights where state law protects them, and must follow the state's rules on entry, deposits and fees shown below.
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | Prohibited. If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water, or other essential service, the tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover an amount equal to three months' periodic rent as liquidated damages plus a reasonable attorney's fee. On termination the landlord must return prepaid rent and recoverable security. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1430 |
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| Landlord entry notice | At least 24 hours' written notice (stating purpose and expected arrival window, delivered to each unit) and entry at reasonable times, except in an emergency or where notice is impracticable. Tenant may not unreasonably refuse consent; landlord may not abuse access or use it to harass. Written per-unit notice requirement reflects the Laws 2021, LB320 amendment. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1423 |
| Landlord retaliation | Landlord may not raise rent, decrease services, or bring/threaten a possession action because the tenant complained to a government agency about a housing-code violation affecting health and safety, or organized/joined a tenants' union. Tenant may use § 76-1430 remedies and raise retaliation as a defense. No statutory presumption period. Exceptions: tenant-caused violation, tenant in default on rent, or code compliance requires alteration/demolition that deprives tenant of use. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1439 |
| Security deposit limit | One month's periodic rent (any security however labeled). A separate pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's periodic rent may also be charged. Housing agencies under the Nebraska Housing Agency Act are exempt from the cap. Last amended Laws 2021, LB532. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 |
| Penalty for withholding | Tenant recovers the money due plus court costs and reasonable attorney's fees; if the landlord's failure was willful and not in good faith, also liquidated damages equal to the lesser of one month's periodic rent or two times the deposit. Landlord's successor in interest is bound by the section. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 |
| Late fees | No statutory cap The URLTA rent-terms section does not regulate late fees; no late-fee statute was located in the Act. Rent is due without demand at the agreed time and place. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1414 |
| Rent control / increase limits | Preempted statewide: cities, villages, counties and their subdivisions may not enact or enforce local laws controlling rent on private property, including home-rule cities; conflicting local laws are void. New in 2025. Exceptions: where other state law expressly permits; land-use/inclusionary affordable-housing requirements; voluntary contractual opt-in programs. |
| Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | No. The Nebraska Fair Housing Act covers race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex, and military or veteran status, but not source of income or housing vouchers. Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-318 |
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific camera statute. It is a crime to knowingly intrude on a person without consent in a place of solitude or seclusion, or to photograph, film, or record a person's intimate area without knowledge and consent. Landlord entry generally requires 24 hours' written notice stating the purpose and time window, and may not be used to harass. Intrusion is a Class I misdemeanor (felony on repeat); intimate-image recording is a Class IV felony. |
| Other rental fees | No statute limits move-in, convenience or online-payment fees or requires all-in rent disclosure. A domestic-violence survivor released from a lease under § 76-1431.01 may not be charged a fee solely because of the termination. Absence finding based on the URLTA section titles. |
Can I sue my landlord in Nebraska? · All Nebraska tenant rights
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.