Security deposit interest in Nebraska
No — Nebraska does not require landlords to pay interest on security deposits.
There is no interest to calculate — here is what does apply
Nebraska sets no interest requirement, so there is no figure to work out. The rules below are the ones that decide whether you get your deposit back in full, which is usually the larger sum anyway.
Deadline to return your deposit
14 days after the tenancy ends.
Miss it and the consequences below start to apply.
What to do next
- Give your landlord a written forwarding address. Several states make the return duty conditional on it, and Nebraska's rules are summarised below.
- Photograph the unit at move-out, dated, before you hand back the keys. The dispute is almost always about condition.
- If the deadline passes, put the request in writing and cite Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 76-1416. Keep a copy of what you sent and when.
Not legal advice. This is general information, not legal advice. Security deposit laws change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify with the cited statute or consult a licensed attorney in your state before taking action.
What does Nebraska law actually say?
Nebraska does not require landlords to pay interest on residential security deposits. The statute contains no interest provision and imposes no escrow or separate account requirement. Deposits are capped at one month's rent, plus an additional pet deposit of up to one quarter of one month's rent where the tenant keeps a pet, though no pet deposit may be charged for a service animal needed by a person with a disability.
Prepaid rent is excluded from these limits. On termination and delivery of possession the deposit may be applied to unpaid rent and to damages the landlord suffered from the tenant's noncompliance with Section 76-1421, but only where those amounts are itemised in a written notice delivered to the tenant together with the balance. The landlord must return the balance within 14 days of the later of termination, delivery of possession, or the tenant's written demand and provision of a forwarding address.
The tenant is not entitled to apply the deposit toward rent, and the landlord may not treat prepaid rent as a security deposit to avoid this section.
What if your landlord does not comply?
No interest obligation, so no interest penalty. A landlord who fails to comply with the return and itemisation requirements is liable for the property and money due plus damages equal to one times the amount wrongfully withheld. The tenant must make a written demand and supply a forwarding address to trigger the deadline.