Nevada Rent Relief: After CHAP, Where Renters in Each Region Can Turn

How Nevada rent relief programs wound down

During the pandemic, Nevada's federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) money flowed through local partners. In Clark County it was CHAP, run by Clark County Social Service. Washoe County, the City of Reno, and Nevada Rural Housing ran their own versions for the north and the rural counties.

Clark County announced that it would stop accepting pandemic CHAP applications as of January 23, 2023. Applications already filed were processed, and the county shifted its remaining money to smaller, targeted programs for households facing eviction and residents on fixed incomes. In August 2025 the county reported that those programs had used up their funding and were no longer accepting applications. The U.S. Treasury's ERA page states that the last federal period of performance ended September 30, 2025, so no ERA-funded program in Nevada can reopen.

You may also see "Home Means Nevada" in older articles. That was the state's pandemic-era housing initiative, aimed mostly at homeowners and housing development. It is not a rent fund for tenants today.

The money that exists now is smaller and comes from county budgets, state housing trust funds, and HUD. In 2025 the Legislature also added state money for eviction diversion and rental assistance; our Las Vegas rental assistance guide explains how that works in Clark County.

Programs by region

Nevada's rent help is organized by where you live. Find your region first, then call the matching office.

Southern Nevada help

Clark County Social Service's housing expense assistance page lists up to $400 a month for a household of one, plus up to $135 for each additional member. Help is generally limited to once every 12 months, with exceptions for a barrier to employment or a disability under Social Security's rules. The county pays by check to you or directly to the landlord. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Because $400 rarely covers a full Las Vegas rent, most people combine it with other help. The Las Vegas courts also run an Eviction Diversion Program for tenants who are 62 or older or receive SSI for a disability and who answer their eviction on time. Our Las Vegas guide covers that program, the Economic Opportunity Board, and other local agencies. For charity help, see our Salvation Army Las Vegas rental assistance guide.

For long-term help, the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority runs Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing in Clark County. Waiting lists open only from time to time, so check often.

Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County help

Washoe County's Rental & Deposit Assistance Program is paid for by the state Low-Income Housing Trust Fund. It offers short-term help with rent, security deposits, or utility bills. The county lists four eligibility rules:

• household income at or below the program's low-income guidelines;
• a verified household size;
• rent at or below fair market value; and
• a reasonable chance of staying stable after the help ends.

Requests are handled in the order they arrive, money is limited, and the program may cover only part of what you owe. You can only apply by phone, at 775-337-4427. Staff will review the rules with you and send forms if you look eligible. Have proof of income, ID, and your lease ready.

Washoe County's Housing and Homeless Services office also runs a Tenancy Support program. Case managers help residents plan rent payments, deal with property managers, and head off an eviction before it starts. Call 775-325-8210.

For vouchers and public housing, contact the Reno Housing Authority, which serves Reno, Sparks, and the rest of Washoe County.

Rural Nevada and Nevada Rural Housing

Nevada Rural Housing (NRH) is the housing authority for every county except Clark and Washoe: Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, and White Pine. It runs three programs that help renters:

• Emergency Rental Assistance. For renters facing eviction or a utility shutoff for nonpayment. You must live in NRH's area, meet income limits, live in the unit that needs help, not owe money to NRH, and have at least one household member who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The unit must also fall within the program's payment standards. Call 775-887-1795 or email housingassistance@nvrural.org.
• Security Deposit Program. A grant of up to $1,000 toward a deposit, which does not have to be paid back. You need a signed lease, must apply within the first 60 days after moving in, and the rent must be at or below fair market rent.
• Housing Choice Vouchers. Applicants are chosen by random lottery when the waiting list opens. NRH gives a preference to people whose current or future landlord is willing to accept the voucher.

NRH's emergency program is not the same as the pandemic ERA program, even though the name is similar. It is a smaller, ongoing program with its own rules, so ask about current funding when you call. For other help in rural areas, including SNAP, energy assistance, and TANF, see our Nevada hardship program guide.

The 7-day notice and summary eviction

Most Nevada landlords use the "summary" eviction process under NRS 40.253. It moves fast, and the tenant has to act to get a hearing at all. The Civil Law Self-Help Center, run by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, explains the steps:

Counting the days. Do not count the day you were served, weekends, or court holidays. The Self-Help Center gives this example: a notice served on a Monday makes Tuesday day 1, and in its example the seventh day lands on the following Thursday, because Friday is not counted either. Ask your court clerk which days count where you live, and file early on the last day rather than late.

The notice must list when rent was due and became late, the amount owed, the court where you can file, and your right to file an affidavit. It must also tell you that you can file an expedited complaint if the landlord locks you out or cuts off an essential service such as water, power, or air conditioning.

Your four options before the deadline

According to the Self-Help Center's rent notices page, by the end of the seventh judicial day you can:

1. Pay the rent demanded in the notice and stay.
2. Move out.
3. File a tenant's affidavit/answer with the justice court to contest the notice and get a hearing. Las Vegas Justice Court requires e-filing, so you will need an email address.
4. File a motion to stay, asking the court to delay the eviction for up to 10 days under NRS 70.010. You can file this instead of an answer, or later, after an order is entered.

If you are applying for rent help, still file your answer. A pending application does not stop the clock. In Reno, the Reno Justice Court Civil Division has pages and forms for responding to an eviction notice; call 775-325-6501 with filing questions. In other areas, contact the justice court named on your notice.

Rent, late fees, repairs, and deposits

A few Nevada rules give tenants more room than they may realize:

• Late fees. Late fees must be in the lease and reasonable. They cannot be more than 5% of the rent, and for tenancies longer than week to week, they cannot be charged until at least 3 calendar days after rent is due.
• Rent only. A summary eviction for nonpayment can be based only on rent, not on court costs, collection fees, or attorney's fees. After serving a 7-day notice, the landlord cannot refuse your rent just because you have not also paid late fees, collection fees, or a returned check fee (NRS 40.253).
• Essential services. If the landlord fails to provide heat, air conditioning, running water, hot water, electricity, gas, or a working door lock, Nevada law allows tenants to withhold rent in some situations (NRS 118A.380). Strict notice steps apply, so get legal advice before you try it.
• Deposits. Under NRS 118A.242, the Self-Help Center's security deposit page explains that a deposit cannot be more than three months' rent. After you move out, the landlord has 30 days to return it or give you an itemized accounting. If the landlord wrongfully keeps it, you can sue for up to twice the deposit.

Mediation and free legal help

Mediation in Clark County. The Clark County Neighborhood Justice Center offers free, confidential mediation for landlord and tenant disputes. It is voluntary, and the Self-Help Center reports that about 76% of mediated disputes end in a written agreement. Call 702-455-3898. Mediation can be a good way to agree on a payment plan before a notice turns into a court case, but it does not pause the 7-day deadline, so file your answer too.

Free legal help:

• Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada serves Clark County and runs the Civil Law Self-Help Center, which offers free eviction forms and step-by-step guides.
• Northern Nevada Legal Aid, formerly Washoe Legal Services, serves the Reno area. Call 775-329-2727, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Nevada Legal Services helps low-income residents in the rural counties. Ask 211 for the office nearest you.

211. Nevada 211 lists rent, utility, and shelter programs by ZIP code. Dial 2-1-1 and ask about both rent help and deposit help, since some programs pay only one.

Related guides

• Nevada hardship program
• Las Vegas rental assistance
• Utah rent relief
• Arizona rent relief program

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program funding and court rules change, so confirm details with the agency, the court clerk, or a lawyer before you act. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Clark County, Washoe County, Nevada Rural Housing, or any government agency.