•Nevada’s eviction moratorium expires October 14, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. On October 15, 2020, landlords can pursue any type of eviction against a tenant, including evictions for non-payment of rent.
• If a tenant receives a “Seven-Day Notice to Pay or Quit,” they can fight the eviction in court by filing a “Tenant’s Affidavit.” The tenant typically has seven business days after receiving the notice to file the affidavit with the court. The Reno and Sparks Justice Courts provide fill-in-the-blank affidavits that tenants can use to request a hearing.
• Tenants facing evictions may have defenses to the eviction, including being protected from eviction by the Order issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) temporarily halting residential evictions. The CDC Order is effective until December 31, 2020, and states, in part: “…a landlord…shall not evict any covered person from any residential property in any jurisdiction to which this Order applies…”
• For a tenant to be covered under the CDC Order, they must sign a sworn declaration (available at the CDC website) and deliver it to their landlord. Declarations are available in over 20 languages, including Spanish, through the HUD website.
• A statewide mediation program is available to help landlords and tenants. Tenants can select mediation by requesting it on their tenant affidavits. If mediation is selected, the eviction case will be stayed (paused) for 30 days for the parties to try to enter into an agreement through a trained mediator. If the mediation is successful, the landlord and tenant will have a binding agreement. If the mediation fails, the case will go before a Judge to determine whether the tenant should be evicted.
• For more information Washoe Legal Services can be reached by phone at 775-329-2727; in person at 299 S. Arlington in Reno, or online at washoelegalservices.org.
You can call us at: (775) 329-2727
You can visit us at: 299 South Arlington Avenue, Reno, NV 89501
You can email us at: intakeuser@washoelegalservices.org
Our eligibility criteria varies depending on the program that you are interested in. Eligibility criteria includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Income: We prioritize applicants whose income is below 200% of the federal poverty guideline. But applicants may still qualify for some of our programs even if they are over this income level. You should contact us to determine if you are eligible for any type of assistance.
- Assets: We will consider all assets (cash, property, etc.) that you have, but there is not a strict asset limit.
- Immigration: We do not consider immigration status in accepting or rejecting applicants.
- Age: For programs that are limited to Seniors, we accept individuals who are age 60 and older.
Yes, we can refer you to the Lawyer Referral Service if you do not qualify for services or if you simply want to hire a private attorney.
All of our programs are available to Washoe County residents, but we also offer some services to residents of rural Nevada counties.
WLS is able to assist with any civil legal matter but we focus on the following:
Child Advocacy
Consumer Protection
Elder Law
Estate Planning
Family Law Involving Domestic Violence
Guardianship
Immigration
Landlord/Tenant
Yes, some services are available without an appointment.
Yes, Senior citizens ages 60 and over may qualify for special assistance. Normal income and asset guidelines may be waived for seniors.
No, the Public Defender practices criminal law. WLS does not practice criminal law.
Our staff is trained to refer our clients to other agencies when necessary. You can find more legal, non-legal an self help options on our resources page.
You can help make a difference by volunteering, donating or becoming a partner. You can find more information here.
