Nebraska Housing Resources & Tenant Rights

Nebraska follows the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449), which gives renters clearer protections than neighboring South Dakota. Nonpayment requires a 7-day notice (not three), deposits are capped at one month’s rent, and an illegal lockout can cost a landlord three months’ rent. Nebraska is also a policy battleground: Lincoln voters passed a source-of-income ordinance in 2025 protecting voucher holders, while the Legislature banned local rent control the same year (LB266). This page covers the authorities to apply to, the tenant-law framework, and where to get help.

Major Nebraska public housing authorities

Vouchers and public housing in Nebraska come from local authorities; the state finance agency (NIFA) does not run them. Nebraska has one of the country’s largest counts of small-town authorities, but the big three cover most renters:

• Omaha Housing Authority — PHA NE001, 402-444-6900; the largest in the state; waitlist status changes often, so call to confirm openings
• Lincoln Housing Authority — PHA NE002, 402-434-5500 (voucher hotline 402-434-5518); lists have often been closed, so verify
• Hall County Housing Authority — serves Grand Island (there is no separate Grand Island authority), PHA NE003, 308-385-5530
• Also large: Douglas County Housing Authority (Omaha area), Scotts Bluff County, and the Kearney Housing Agency

Use HUD’s PHA directory and read how to find your PHA. For tax-credit apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database.

NIFA & state programs

The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) in Lincoln (402-434-3900 or 800-204-6432, nifa.org) is the state housing finance agency. It does not run vouchers; instead it allocates the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the newer Nebraska Affordable Housing Tax Credit, issues tax-exempt bonds, runs the middle-income CROWN program, and funds first-time homebuyer loans. NIFA also administered the (now-closed) federal Emergency Rental Assistance for most of the state.

Emergency rent & utility help in Nebraska

• DHHS Emergency Assistance and the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program fund short-term rent and shelter help
• LIHEAP — apply through ACCESSNebraska (1-800-383-4278) for heating help; see utility assistance programs
• Community Action agencies — the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership covers the Omaha metro; dial 211 for the current list and emergency rental assistance

Nebraska tenant law: key protections at a glance

Security deposits

Nebraska caps the deposit at one month’s rent, plus an optional pet deposit of up to a quarter-month (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416). After you move out and give a forwarding address, the landlord must return it (with a written itemization) within 14 days; willful bad-faith withholding lets you recover one month’s rent or twice the deposit, whichever is less. Read how to recover your security deposit.

Eviction process & how long it takes

For nonpayment, a landlord must give a 7-day notice to pay or quit (§ 76-1431(2)) before filing — a real difference from South Dakota, which now requires none. Other lease violations get a 14-day cure period with 30 days to terminate. After the notice, the landlord files in county court, and the process typically runs three to six weeks through the restitution hearing and writ. Get help from Legal Aid of Nebraska (1-877-250-2016) early, and read how to avoid eviction.

Source of income & recent law changes

Nebraska has no statewide source-of-income protection, but Lincoln voters approved a source-of-income ordinance in May 2025 (about 66% to 34%), in effect since June 2025, barring landlords from refusing tenants because they pay with a Housing Choice Voucher or other lawful income — a landlord lawsuit is pending, but the ordinance remains in force. Omaha has no such law. Separately, LB266 (2025), signed in April 2025, bans any city or county from imposing rent control on private property. See our source-of-income protections guide.

Veteran & supportive housing in Nebraska

• HUD-VASH (veterans) — a voucher paired with VA case management; see how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Homeless assistance — the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program and Community Action agencies run rapid re-housing and prevention; reach Coordinated Entry through 211
• Eviction prevention — our eviction prevention hub explains defenses and what to do before your court date

Nearby states

Comparing states or planning a move? Nebraska’s neighbors handle notice, deposits, and vouchers differently:

• South Dakota tenant rights — no notice-to-quit since 2024
• Iowa tenant rights — a two-month deposit cap and voucher preemption
• Kansas tenant rights
• Wyoming tenant rights — fast evictions and no state fair-housing agency
• Colorado tenant rights — statewide source-of-income protection

Where to get help in Nebraska

Tenant help & legal aid: Legal Aid of Nebraska serves all 93 counties; call the AccessLine at 1-877-250-2016 or use ne.freelegalanswers.org.

Discrimination complaints: the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (402-471-2024 or 800-642-6112) is a HUD-certified fair-housing agency, so you can file with it directly.

Vouchers & local PHAs: apply to the Omaha, Lincoln, or Hall County authority, or find yours in the HUD PHA directory.

211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 for rent, utility, and shelter help statewide.

Next Steps

Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool maps Nebraska programs to your situation in about two minutes.

If you get a 7-day notice, call Legal Aid of Nebraska (1-877-250-2016) right away and read eviction prevention for your next moves.