Free Nebraska Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF

Nebraska rental application rules to know

• •Security deposit cap: a Nebraska landlord may not demand more than one month's rent as a security deposit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416).
• •Pet deposit: a separate pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's rent may be charged on top of the security deposit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416).
• •Deposit return: within 14 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must deliver or mail the balance of the deposit plus a written itemization of any deductions (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416).
• •Penalty: for any failure to return the deposit on time the landlord owes the amount wrongfully withheld plus court costs and attorney's fees; if the failure is willful and not in good faith, the landlord also owes liquidated damages of one month's rent or twice the deposit, whichever is less (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416).
• •Application fees: Nebraska sets no statutory cap on rental application or screening fees, and no statute limits late fees (a late fee only has to be reasonable), so both are governed by your lease.
• •Source of income and criminal history: Nebraska has no statewide source-of-income protection and no state or major-city fair-chance housing law, so landlords may ask about criminal records, though a blanket ban on anyone with a record can still create Fair Housing Act disparate-impact liability.
• •Fair housing: Nebraska's Fair Housing Act tracks the federal protected classes (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status) and adds military and veteran status statewide (§ 20-318). Omaha adds local protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, while Lincoln adds ancestry and marital status.

Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.