What apartments in Reno actually cost right now
The table below is the same government dataset behind the short answer above, broken out by unit size. Fair market rent is a 40th-percentile estimate: four in ten comparable units in the county rent at or below each figure. A listing on a large aggregator can land above this line for a newer building or below it for an older complex outside the Reno-Sparks core.
| Unit size | FY2025 fair market rent (gross) |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,181 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,370 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,722 |
| 3 bedroom | $2,384 |
| 4 bedroom | $2,788 |
Source: Nevada Department of Taxation, FY2025 Fair Market Rent tables, Table I, built on HUD’s methodology. Use it as a budgeting floor when you compare individual listings.
Applying without a Social Security number
You can apply for most Reno apartments without a Social Security number by using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or by applying without either and asking the property manager to verify income and rental history manually. No federal law requires an SSN on a rental application, per iPropertyManagement’s screening guide for landlords, and a denial that tracks with national origin risks a fair-housing complaint.
The mechanics depend on which screening system a property manager uses. On Apartments.com’s national application flow, applicants check a box marked “I don’t have an SSN or ITIN,” the application still reaches the property manager, and the standard $32 fee covers up to ten separate listings, though no automated credit or background report gets generated. That gap is exactly where a direct conversation with the leasing office matters: ask whether their screening vendor accepts ITIN-based reports before paying any fee, since coverage varies by vendor.
If neither number is available, bring pay stubs, a signed employer letter, or bank statements covering several months, along with a letter from a prior landlord if you have one. Property managers who can’t run a standard credit check lean harder on documented income and rental history, and some ask for a guarantor or a larger deposit instead.
Can I rent an apartment in Reno without a Social Security number?Yes. Federal law doesn’t require one, and major platforms including Apartments.com have a built-in path for applicants without an SSN or ITIN. Individual property managers still set their own documentation requirements, so confirm what a specific listing’s screening system accepts before applying.
Security deposits and application fees: what’s legally refundable
Nevada caps a security deposit, including any last month’s rent collected upfront, at three months’ periodic rent. The landlord has 30 days after move-out to return the balance with an itemized accounting. Both limits come from state statute.
| Charge | Legal limit or rule | Refundable? | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security deposit | Up to 3 months’ rent total, deposit plus any prepaid last month combined | Yes, minus documented deductions for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear, or cleaning | Collected before move-in |
| Application / credit-check / background-check fee | No statewide cap found; refund required if the landlord rents to a different applicant and never runs your report | Conditionally, under NRS 118A.306 (added 2025) | Collected at application |
| Cleaning charge | Can be labeled nonrefundable only if the agreement identifies it specifically as a reasonable, separate charge | Depends on lease wording | Collected before move-in |
| Deposit itself | A lease can’t blanket-label the security deposit nonrefundable | Refundable in part or full absent legitimate deductions | Returned at move-out |
Source: Nevada Revised Statutes 118A.242 and 118A.306.
If a landlord keeps the deposit past 30 days without an itemized accounting, the statute makes them liable for the full deposit amount, plus a further sum the court can set up to that same amount again, weighing whether the landlord acted in good faith. A tenant who documents the move-out condition with photos and a dated demand letter has the strongest position in that hearing.
How long does a landlord in Nevada have to return my security deposit?30 days after the tenancy ends, along with a written, itemized list of any deductions, under NRS 118A.242.
Is an application fee refundable if I don’t get the apartment?Only in one specific case set by a 2025 addition to Nevada law: if the landlord rents the unit to someone else and never actually processes your credit or background report, the fee comes back to you. If they do run the report and deny you, the fee stays with them.
Recognizing a rental scam before you pay
- Landlord “out of the country.” A story explaining why they can’t show the unit in person is the most common setup in wire-fraud listings.
- Payment by wire transfer or gift card, before any signed agreement. Legitimate Reno landlords and management companies take checks, money orders, or an online payment portal, and expect a signed lease first.
- Price well below comparable units nearby. A two-bedroom priced hundreds under the fair market rent range above deserves independent verification before you send anything.
- Refusal to let you view the unit in person. A photo tour or a promise to mail the keys after payment is a warning sign regardless of how polished the listing looks.
- Listing copy written for a different city. Descriptions cross-posted across metro areas, sometimes with leftover references to another state, are common on general classifieds sites and signal the post wasn’t written for this unit.
What if the “landlord” asks for a deposit by wire transfer before I’ve seen the unit?Ask for an in-person or live video tour first, and hold off on signing or paying until you’ve verified the person actually controls the property.
Documents to bring, with or without a credit history
What a leasing office asks for changes depending on whether you have U.S. credit history.
| Your situation | Typically accepted documentation | If declined |
|---|---|---|
| SSN and U.S. credit history | SSN, standard credit and background report | – |
| No SSN, have an ITIN | ITIN plus passport or foreign government ID; some screening vendors generate a report from the ITIN | Confirm the vendor before applying, as described above |
| No SSN or ITIN | Passport or consular ID, pay stubs, employer letter, bank statements | Ask about a guarantor, co-signer, or a larger deposit up to the 3-month legal cap |
| Prior eviction or bankruptcy | Same as above, plus a written explanation | A larger deposit or guarantor is common; policy varies by landlord |
Sources: Apartments.com Renter Help Center; iPropertyManagement. Every management company sets its own ITIN policy, so treat this table as a starting point for the conversation.
Do I need a co-signer if I don’t have U.S. credit history?Property managers who can verify steady income through pay stubs or bank statements often skip the co-signer requirement. It becomes more likely once income alone falls short of the landlord’s ratio, covered next.
When your income doesn’t match a landlord’s ratio
Individual Reno property managers set the income-to-rent ratio they require, and it varies by company.
Renters who fall short of a landlord’s ratio typically substitute one of three things: a co-signer, a deposit raised toward the 3-month legal cap, or several months of rent paid in advance.
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