LotWardenLien laws by state

Storage lien laws · State guide

Nevada storage lien laws

Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 108, §§ 108.473–108.4783 — Liens of Owners of Facilities for Storage →Verified 2026-06-11

Nevada gives self-storage owners a possessory lien on all personal property in a storage space from the date rent becomes due and unpaid (NRS 108.4753). The statute runs on two notice tracks: a termination notice at day 14 of non-payment, then a separate pre-sale notice at least 14 days before the sale. If no declaration in opposition is returned, the owner may sell the property at a publicly advertised auction. For motor vehicles, boats, personal watercraft, and trailers used to transport those items, the statute provides an alternative: after 60 days of unpaid charges, the owner may have the property towed by a Nevada Transportation Authority–regulated operator instead of holding a lien sale. Late fees are capped by statute at $20 or 20 percent of the monthly rental amount, whichever is greater, per month — but only if the rental agreement states the fee amount.

At a glance

NV · verified 2026-06-11
Statute
Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 108, §§ 108.473–108.4783 — Liens of Owners of Facilities for Storage
Notice delivery
Verified mail (any USPS method that provides evidence of mailing) to the occupant's last known address and the alternative address provided in the rental agreement — NRS 108.4748; NRS 108.476(2) · Electronic mail to the last known email address — permitted as an alternative to verified mail; if email is used and no confirmation of receipt is received, the owner must also send verified mail — NRS 108.4731; NRS 108.4763(2) · "Last known address" means the postal and electronic mail address provided in the most recent rental agreement, or any updated address provided by the occupant in a subsequent written notice to the owner — NRS 108.4734 (as amended by AB 182, 2013)
Sale method
The sale must be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner (NRS 108.477(4)). Nevada has NOT modernized NRS 108.477 to authorize online auction advertising — as of the 2025 NRS, the statute still expressly requires a newspaper of general circulation. Proposals to remove the newspaper requirement did not become enacted law through at least the 2023 legislative session. Operators must not assume that advertising exclusively on platforms such as StorageTreasures satisfies the statutory requirement; doing so risks voiding the lien sale. Consult Nevada counsel before substituting online advertising for the newspaper requirement.
Late fees
Nevada caps late fees by statute. A late fee is deemed reasonable — and therefore enforceable — if it does not exceed $20 or 20 percent of the monthly rental amount, whichever is greater, for each month of a late rental payment. The fee is only valid if the rental agreement (or a written addendum) states the late fee amount. A late fee imposed under NRS 108.4758 is included in the owner's lien under NRS 108.4753. The statute expressly states that a late fee is not interest on a debt and is not a cost incurred in enforcing the lien — it is a separate charge for failure to pay rent on time.
Vehicles & boats
Nevada does not route title transfer through the storage operator. Once a vehicle, boat, personal watercraft, or qualifying trailer is towed under NRS 108.4763(1)(c), the tow car operator (a Nevada Transportation Authority–regulated entity) takes physical possession and handles subsequent disposition under applicable towing and abandoned-vehicle statutes. The storage operator has no independent DMV mechanism to transfer title. If the operator instead proceeds with a lien sale rather than towing, the purchaser at that sale would need to pursue title through normal DMV channels using sale documentation. The statute does not prescribe a specific title-transfer procedure for storage lien sales of titled property; confirm with Nevada DMV whether a notarized bill of sale from a storage lien sale is sufficient for title transfer.

The lien clock

Each station below is a statutory checkpoint. Miss one and the sale can be challenged — this is the timeline LotWarden tracks automatically.

  1. 01

    Day 0 — the date rent for a storage space is due and unpaid

    Lien attaches

    The owner and the owner's heirs, assignees, or successors have a possessory lien on all personal property in the storage space from the date rent becomes due and unpaid. The lien covers rent, any late fees imposed under NRS 108.4758, labor, other charges under the rental agreement, and expenses reasonably incurred by the owner to preserve, sell, or dispose of the property. Any lien created by a document of title for a motor vehicle or boat has priority over this storage lien.

    NRS 108.4753(1)–(2)

  2. 02

    Day 10 — charges remain unpaid for 10 days or more

    Access denial permitted

    The statute allows the owner to deny the occupant access to the storage space for which charges are owed. No additional notice is required before locking out the occupant at day 10; the right to deny access is independent of the termination notice track.

    NRS 108.476(1)

  3. 03

    Day 14 or later — charges remain unpaid for 14 days or more; notice period of at least 14 days must run before termination takes effect

    Send termination notice

    The owner may terminate the occupant's right to use the storage space not less than 14 days after sending a termination notice. The notice is sent by verified mail — or, if available, by electronic mail — to the occupant's last known address and to the alternative address provided in the rental agreement. The notice must contain: an itemized statement of amount owed and due date; the owner's name, address, and phone number; a statement that the right to use the space terminates on a specific date unless the occupant pays; and a statement that the owner's lien will be imposed after that date.

    NRS 108.476(2)(a)–(d)

  4. 04

    At least 14 days before the proposed sale date; sent after termination right has been enforced

    Send pre-sale notice of lien

    After the notice of lien is mailed by the owner and the occupant fails to pay the total amount due by the date specified in that notice, the owner may enter the storage space and remove the property to a safe place. The owner must send a separate pre-sale notice by verified mail — or, if available, by electronic mail — to the occupant's last known address and the alternative address at least 14 days before the sale. If email is used and no confirmation of receipt is received, the owner must also send the notice by verified mail. The notice must include: a statement of no further access; lien amount; sale or disposal date; surplus-proceeds rights; and a blank declaration in opposition form.

    NRS 108.4763(1)–(2)

  5. 05

    Before the sale date specified in the pre-sale notice

    Occupant may file declaration in opposition

    The occupant may prevent the sale by executing a declaration in opposition under penalty of perjury and returning it to the owner by verified mail. The declaration must contain: the occupant's name, address, and signature; the location of the property; the execution date; a statement that the occupant received the sale notice; a statement that the occupant opposes the sale; and a statement that any court action concerning the lien's validity must be filed not later than 21 days after the owner receives the declaration. Once received, the owner must not sell the property until at least 30 days after receiving the declaration, and only if the occupant has not filed a court action within 21 days — or if the court has entered judgment in the owner's favor.

    NRS 108.4765; NRS 108.478

  6. 06

    After the 14-day pre-sale notice period; no declaration received or 30-day post-declaration hold has passed without an occupant court filing

    Advertise and conduct sale

    If no declaration in opposition is received by the sale date, the owner may sell the property. The sale must be advertised once a week for 2 consecutive weeks immediately before the sale date in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district where the sale will be held. If no such newspaper exists, the advertisement must be posted 10 days before the sale in at least six conspicuous places near the sale location. The advertisement must contain: a general description of the property; the occupant's name; the storage space number; and the facility's name and address. The sale must be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner.

    NRS 108.477(1)–(4)

  7. 07

    Immediately after the sale

    Apply proceeds and handle surplus

    After deducting the lien amount and the costs of the sale, the owner retains any excess proceeds on behalf of the occupant. The occupant or the occupant's authorized representative may claim the surplus at any time within 1 year from the sale date. After 1 year, the owner must pay any unclaimed proceeds to the county treasurer for deposit in the general fund of the county.

    NRS 108.477(5)–(6)

Notice requirements

Permitted delivery

  • Verified mail (any USPS method that provides evidence of mailing) to the occupant's last known address and the alternative address provided in the rental agreement — NRS 108.4748; NRS 108.476(2)
  • Electronic mail to the last known email address — permitted as an alternative to verified mail; if email is used and no confirmation of receipt is received, the owner must also send verified mail — NRS 108.4731; NRS 108.4763(2)
  • "Last known address" means the postal and electronic mail address provided in the most recent rental agreement, or any updated address provided by the occupant in a subsequent written notice to the owner — NRS 108.4734 (as amended by AB 182, 2013)

The notice must include

  • An itemized statement of the amount owed at the time of the notice and the date it became due — NRS 108.476(2)(a)
  • The name, address, and telephone number of the owner or the owner's agent — NRS 108.476(2)(b)
  • A statement that the occupant's right to use the storage space will terminate on a specific date unless the occupant pays the amount owed — NRS 108.476(2)(c)
  • A statement that after termination, an owner's lien under NRS 108.4753 will be imposed — NRS 108.476(2)(d)
  • Pre-sale notice additionally requires: a statement that the occupant may no longer use the space or access the property; a statement that the property is subject to a lien and the lien amount; a statement the property will be sold or disposed of on a specified date unless the lien is paid or a declaration in opposition is returned by verified mail; a statement of surplus-proceeds rights; and a blank declaration in opposition form — NRS 108.4763(2)(a)–(d)

NRS 108.476(2); NRS 108.4763(2); NRS 108.4731; NRS 108.4734; NRS 108.4748

The part most guides skip

Vehicles, boats & RVs

Nevada provides a specific alternative disposal path for motor vehicles, boats, personal watercraft, and qualifying trailers stored at a self-storage facility. Under NRS 108.4763(1)(c) (as originally enacted by AB 182, 2013, and amended in 2019), if the personal property upon which the lien is claimed is a motor vehicle, boat, personal watercraft, or a trailer used to transport a motor vehicle, boat, or personal watercraft, and rent and other charges related to that property remain unpaid or unsatisfied for 60 days, the owner may have the property towed by any tow car operator subject to the jurisdiction of the Nevada Transportation Authority — without holding a lien sale. Once the tow car operator takes possession, the owner is not liable for any damages to the vehicle, boat, watercraft, or trailer. This towing path is available as an alternative to the standard pre-sale notice and auction process. Any lien created by a document of title for a motor vehicle or boat has priority over the storage facility's lien under NRS 108.4753(2). Operators storing motorized RVs should treat them as motor vehicles under this provision. Non-motorized fifth-wheels and other trailers not used to transport a motor vehicle, boat, or personal watercraft are not covered by the towing path; the standard lien-sale process applies to those by default.

Titled property path

Nevada does not route title transfer through the storage operator. Once a vehicle, boat, personal watercraft, or qualifying trailer is towed under NRS 108.4763(1)(c), the tow car operator (a Nevada Transportation Authority–regulated entity) takes physical possession and handles subsequent disposition under applicable towing and abandoned-vehicle statutes. The storage operator has no independent DMV mechanism to transfer title. If the operator instead proceeds with a lien sale rather than towing, the purchaser at that sale would need to pursue title through normal DMV channels using sale documentation. The statute does not prescribe a specific title-transfer procedure for storage lien sales of titled property; confirm with Nevada DMV whether a notarized bill of sale from a storage lien sale is sufficient for title transfer.

NRS 108.4753(2); NRS 108.4763(1)(c) (amended 2019)

Sale rules

Method
The sale must be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner (NRS 108.477(4)). Nevada has NOT modernized NRS 108.477 to authorize online auction advertising — as of the 2025 NRS, the statute still expressly requires a newspaper of general circulation. Proposals to remove the newspaper requirement did not become enacted law through at least the 2023 legislative session. Operators must not assume that advertising exclusively on platforms such as StorageTreasures satisfies the statutory requirement; doing so risks voiding the lien sale. Consult Nevada counsel before substituting online advertising for the newspaper requirement.
Advertising
The owner must advertise once a week for 2 consecutive weeks immediately preceding the sale in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district where the sale is held. The ad must contain: a general description of the personal property; the occupant's name; the storage space number at the facility; and the name and address of the facility. If no qualifying newspaper exists in the judicial district, the owner must post notice at least 10 days before the sale in at least six conspicuous places near the sale location (NRS 108.477(2)–(3)).
Proceeds & surplus
Sale proceeds are applied first to the lien amount and the costs of the sale. Any excess is retained by the owner on the occupant's behalf and may be claimed by the occupant or an authorized representative within 1 year of the sale date. After 1 year, unclaimed surplus must be paid to the county treasurer for deposit in the county's general fund (NRS 108.477(5)–(6)).

NRS 108.477(1)–(6)

Late fees

Nevada caps late fees by statute. A late fee is deemed reasonable — and therefore enforceable — if it does not exceed $20 or 20 percent of the monthly rental amount, whichever is greater, for each month of a late rental payment. The fee is only valid if the rental agreement (or a written addendum) states the late fee amount. A late fee imposed under NRS 108.4758 is included in the owner's lien under NRS 108.4753. The statute expressly states that a late fee is not interest on a debt and is not a cost incurred in enforcing the lien — it is a separate charge for failure to pay rent on time.

NRS 108.4758 (enacted by Nevada AB 182, 2013, Sec. 3)

Operator questions

I store RVs and boats on an outdoor lot. When can I have an RV or trailer towed for non-payment?

The statute allows towing of a motor vehicle, boat, personal watercraft, or a trailer used to transport a motor vehicle, boat, or personal watercraft after rent and other charges related to that property remain unpaid for 60 days (NRS 108.4763(1)(c), as amended 2019). A motorized RV titled as a motor vehicle qualifies. A boat trailer or a trailer purpose-built to haul a personal watercraft also qualifies. You must use a tow car operator regulated by the Nevada Transportation Authority. Once the operator takes possession, you are not liable for damages to the property. Non-motorized trailers that are not used to transport a boat, vehicle, or watercraft — such as cargo trailers or utility trailers stored as stand-alone personal property — are not covered by the towing path; use the standard lien-sale process for those.

Can I lock out a tenant who is 12 days behind on rent before sending any notice?

Yes. The statute gives the owner the right to deny access to the storage space when charges remain unpaid for 10 days or more (NRS 108.476(1)). No advance notice is required to exercise that right. The termination notice under NRS 108.476(2) — which starts the clock toward a lien sale — is a separate step and requires charges to be unpaid for 14 days.

What is the maximum late fee I can charge under Nevada law?

The statute caps the "reasonable" late fee at $20 or 20 percent of the monthly rental amount, whichever is greater, per month of late payment (NRS 108.4758). The fee is only enforceable if the rental agreement or an addendum states the amount. Fees above this threshold are not automatically void, but they lose the statutory safe-harbor designation as "reasonable" and could be challenged. The late fee is included in the lien once imposed.

A tenant sent back a declaration in opposition to the sale. What happens now?

The owner must not sell the property until at least 30 days after receiving the declaration (NRS 108.478). Within those 30 days, the occupant must file a court action contesting the lien's validity — the statute requires that action no later than 21 days after the owner receives the declaration (NRS 108.4765). If the occupant files in court, the owner cannot sell unless the court enters judgment in the owner's favor. If the occupant does not file within 21 days, the owner may advertise and sell the property under NRS 108.477.

My tenant's unit contains firearms, pharmaceuticals, and personal documents. How do I handle those at a lien sale?

Those items are "protected property" under NRS 108.4744 (as defined in SB 150, 2011). The statute prohibits selling protected property (NRS 108.4763(1)(b)). The owner must attempt disposal in order of priority: (1) contact the occupant and return it; (2) contact the secondary contact in the rental agreement; (3) contact an appropriate government agency or regulatory authority; (4) destroy the property in a manner authorized by law that completely obliterates any confidential information. If the owner disposes of protected property following this protocol, the statute provides that the owner is not liable to the occupant or any other person with an interest in it.

After a lien sale, there is money left over after paying off what the tenant owed. What do I do with it?

Retain the surplus on the occupant's behalf. The occupant or an authorized representative may claim those funds at any time within 1 year of the sale date (NRS 108.477(5)–(6)). After 1 year, any unclaimed balance must be paid to the treasurer of the county where the sale was held for deposit in the county's general fund. Keep records of the sale proceeds, the lien amount applied, and the date of any surplus payment to the county.

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