Roughly 70% of American households have a pet, and in Las Vegas, that number tracks close to the national average. If you own a rental property, pets are not a hypothetical. They’re a near-certainty in your tenant pool. The question isn’t whether to allow pets, it’s how to structure the arrangement so you’re protected when a 90-pound dog destroys the carpet, a cat soaks the subfloor with urine, or a tenant shows up with a pet they never disclosed.
A pet addendum for Nevada rentals is the document that draws the line between acceptable pet ownership and damage you’ll pay for out of your own pocket. A strong one covers deposits, rent, breed and weight limits, damage responsibility, insurance, and the critical distinction between pets and Emotional Support Animals. A weak one, or worse, nothing at all, leaves you exposed. Here’s exactly what to include.
Why a Separate Pet Addendum Instead of a Lease Clause
A single line in the lease that says “pets allowed with deposit” is not a pet policy. It’s a liability gap. A separate pet addendum, attached to and incorporated by reference into the lease, gives you enforceability, specificity, and flexibility that a buried lease clause doesn’t.
Specificity. The addendum identifies the exact pet: name, breed, weight, age, color, and vaccination status. If the tenant brings home a second dog that isn’t on the addendum, that’s a lease violation, no ambiguity.
Enforceability. Courts enforce specific, signed agreements more readily than vague lease language. A pet addendum the tenant signed with their pet’s description on it is hard to argue around.
Flexibility. You can update the pet addendum without rewriting the entire lease, adding a new pet, removing one that passed away, or adjusting terms at renewal.
A complete pet addendum should cover every item below. Missing any one of them creates an enforcement gap:
Pet Identification
Pet name, species, breed, color/markings, weight, and age
Number of pets authorized (specify a maximum, typically 1-2 for most Las Vegas single-family rentals)
Vaccination and licensing records (Clark County requires dog licensing and proof of rabies vaccination.
Spay/neuter status (many landlords require it)
Financial Terms
Pet deposit. A one-time refundable deposit held specifically against pet-related damage. Nevada caps total security deposits at three months’ rent under NRS 118A.242, and pet deposits count toward that limit; market standard for a pet deposit is typically $250–$500 per pet. This is refundable if no pet damage occurs.
Pet rent. A monthly surcharge (typically $25–$75/month per pet on top of base rent. Pet rent is non-refundable ongoing income, it compensates for the increased wear pets create regardless of whether specific damage occurs.
Non-refundable pet fee. A one-time fee that is not returned at move-out. Nevada law does not prohibit non-refundable pet fees, but the lease must explicitly state the fee is non-refundable, otherwise a court may treat it as a deposit subject to return under NRS 118A.242
Breed restrictions. Many Las Vegas landlord insurance policies exclude certain breeds (commonly pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, wolf hybrids, and others. If your insurance doesn’t cover a breed, your addendum shouldn’t allow it. For the full breed-restriction picture, see My Tenant Has a Restricted Breed Dog.
Weight limits. Common in condo and townhome HOAs. If your property’s CC&Rs cap pet weight at 25 or 40 pounds, your addendum must match.
Number limits. Specify a maximum. Two pets is standard for most single-family rentals. More than two creates exponential wear.
Prohibited areas. Specify where pets are and aren’t allowed, garage only, not on pool deck, not in certain rooms. This is especially relevant for properties with pools, artificial turf, or newly installed flooring.
Tenant Obligations
Tenant must clean up waste immediately (yard and common areas)
Pet must not create noise disturbances that violate noise ordinances or HOA rules
Tenant is responsible for all damage caused by the pet, including damage that exceeds the pet deposit
Tenant must maintain renter’s insurance that covers pet liability (especially for larger breeds)
Tenant must notify landlord immediately if the pet bites someone on the property
Violation and Removal Clause
The addendum must specify what happens if the tenant violates the pet policy, unauthorized pet, restricted breed, excessive damage, or noise complaints. Standard approach: a written notice to cure the violation within a specified period (5–10 days), followed by a lease violation notice under NRS 40.2516 if not cured. In severe cases (dangerous animal, injury), immediate removal may be required. For the enforcement angle when a tenant brings in an undisclosed pet, see Can I Evict My Tenant for Unauthorized Pets?.
Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals Are Not Pets
This is the most common and most expensive mistake landlords make with pet policies. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, service animals and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not pets. They are accommodations for tenants with disabilities. Your pet addendum does not apply to them, and you cannot:
Charge a pet deposit, pet rent, or pet fee for a service animal or ESA
Apply breed, weight, or number restrictions to a service animal or ESA (unless the specific animal has documented dangerous behavior)
Deny housing based on a no-pets policy when a tenant has a legitimate ESA
Ask about the tenant’s underlying disability or medical condition
What you CAN do:
Request reliable third-party verification from a licensed healthcare provider that the tenant has a disability and the animal provides disability-related support, when the disability is not obvious
Deny a specific animal that has a documented history of being a direct threat (based on the individual animal’s behavior, not breed)
Hold the tenant responsible for any damage the animal causes (ESA status doesn’t waive damage liability)
Getting this wrong triggers a fair housing complaint that can cost far more than any pet damage. For the full legal framework on protected classes and accommodation requirements, see Nevada Fair Housing Laws: What Landlords Must Know.
How IRES Handles Pet Policies for You
Pet management is one of the areas where self-managing landlords create the most preventable liability, either by having no pet policy at all, by applying pet rules to ESAs (a fair housing violation), or by collecting pet deposits that aren’t properly documented and separated from the general security deposit. At IRES, our lease management service includes Nevada-compliant pet addenda for every property that allows animals, ESA accommodation handling through a documented compliance process, and move-in/move-out inspection protocols that specifically document pet-related wear versus pre-existing conditions.
IRES takes the stress out of property management. Whether it’s tenant screening, lease enforcement, rent collection, or just getting your time back, we’ve got you covered.
This article provides general information about Nevada landlord-tenant law and federal fair housing requirements and should not be considered legal advice. For specific legal questions, consult a licensed Nevada attorney.
