If you own rental property in Reno, snow removal is not just a seasonal inconvenience — it is a legal and liability issue. Tenants ask about it. Disputes happen. And when someone slips on an unshoveled walkway, the question of who was responsible comes up fast. This 2026 guide breaks down what Nevada law actually says, what Reno municipal code requires, and how landlords can protect themselves.
Written by Nick Martie.
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What Nevada Law Says About Landlord Responsibilities?
Nevada’s landlord-tenant law is governed primarily by NRS Chapter 118A, which outlines the obligations landlords have to maintain rental properties in a habitable condition. Under NRS 118A.290, landlords must keep the premises in a condition that is safe and fit for human habitation. That includes maintaining common areas — hallways, parking lots, sidewalks, and entryways — in a reasonably safe condition.
Snow and ice on walkways or stairs can create dangerous conditions that directly conflict with that habitability standard. If a tenant or visitor is injured because a landlord failed to clear snow from a shared area, the landlord faces real exposure to a negligence claim. Courts in Nevada have consistently treated slip-and-fall injuries caused by unaddressed ice accumulation as foreseeable hazards, meaning a landlord who ignores them cannot easily argue they had no reason to act.
That said, Nevada state law does not spell out a specific snow removal timeline. The obligation is more general: maintain the property in a safe condition. How that gets applied depends on the lease agreement, local ordinances, and the specific facts of each situation.
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Reno Municipal Code and Sidewalk Snow Clearance
Reno city ordinances place a direct obligation on property owners — not tenants — to clear snow and ice from public sidewalks adjacent to their property. Property owners are generally required to remove snow within a reasonable time after snowfall stops. Failure to do so can result in the city performing the clearance and billing the property owner, or issuing a citation.
This matters for landlords because the city treats the property owner as the responsible party, regardless of what the lease says between landlord and tenant. You can contract your tenant to handle snow removal, but if they do not do it, the city will come after you as the owner of record.
For multi-family properties — duplexes, apartment buildings, small complexes — landlords are almost universally responsible for clearing common areas. A tenant cannot reasonably be expected to manage a shared parking lot or the main building entrance. Those are ownership responsibilities.
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What the Lease Agreement Actually Controls?
The lease is where most of the practical snow removal questions get answered. In single-family rental homes, landlords often assign snow removal duties to tenants in the lease. That is legally permissible under Nevada law. The lease can state clearly that the tenant is responsible for clearing driveways, private walkways, and their personal entry areas.
However, there are limits to what you can shift onto a tenant. You cannot assign them responsibility for public sidewalks in a way that relieves you of liability to the city. And if a tenant has a disability or the property lacks the tools necessary to do the job, courts may view that assignment skeptically in a negligence case.
If your lease is silent on snow removal, courts and arbitrators will typically default to the landlord bearing responsibility — particularly for any shared or exterior common areas. Silence in the lease is not neutral ground; it tends to work against the party with more control over the property, which is usually the landlord.
The Nevada Legislature’s guidance on landlord-tenant law does not override what parties can negotiate in a lease, but the lease still cannot waive the landlord’s duty to maintain a habitable and safe property under NRS 118A.
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Liability When Someone Gets Hurt
Slip-and-fall injuries from snow and ice are among the most common premises liability claims in northern Nevada. When a tenant, guest, delivery driver, or mail carrier falls on an icy surface at a rental property, the injured party will likely look at who controlled that area and whether reasonable steps were taken to address the hazard.
OSHA recognizes walking-working surface hazards related to ice and snow as a leading cause of workplace injuries — and the same logic applies in civil premises liability cases. Property owners have a duty to address known hazards within a reasonable time.
In practice, this means landlords should document their snow removal efforts. Keep records of when you cleared snow, when you applied ice melt, and who performed the work. If you hire a professional snow removal service, get receipts and keep them. That documentation becomes your defense if a claim ever arises.
Northern Nevada Public Health has also noted that ice accumulation on walking surfaces contributes to serious fall injuries each winter, particularly among older adults. Rental properties with elderly tenants face heightened scrutiny when these incidents occur.
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Common Mistakes Reno Landlords Make
Many landlords assume that because it does not snow as heavily in Reno as it does in Lake Tahoe or the Sierra Nevada foothills, they can take a casual approach. That assumption is wrong. Reno sits at roughly 4,500 feet in elevation, and winter storms regularly drop several inches at a time. Ice forms quickly when temperatures drop overnight after a wet day, even if the snowfall itself was light.
Other common mistakes include relying on a verbal agreement with the tenant instead of putting snow removal duties in writing, failing to check the property after a storm, and hiring uninsured workers to handle clearance. If that uninsured worker is injured on your property, your liability exposure expands considerably. Always verify that any contractor you hire carries proper insurance. The Nevada State Contractors Board maintains a license lookup tool where you can check credentials before hiring anyone.
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Why Professional Snow Removal Makes Sense for Rental Properties?
Handling snow removal yourself is realistic for owners who live nearby and manage a single property. For anyone managing multiple units or properties spread across Reno and Sparks, a professional service provides consistency and accountability that is hard to replicate on your own.
Nick’s Property Cleanup & Hauling – Reno/Sparks provides snow removal services for residential and rental properties throughout the area. The work gets done on a schedule that keeps properties clear after storms, without landlords having to monitor the weather and scramble to arrange last-minute help. Our team understands local conditions, the ordinances that apply to property owners, and what it takes to keep a rental safe throughout winter.
Learn more about our team and background if you want to know who you are dealing with before calling. You can also read what our Reno clients say about the quality of work we deliver.
Beyond snow, we also handle yard cleanup and debris removal that rental properties often need between tenants or after storm season.
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Steps Landlords Should Take Before Winter Hits
Review your lease agreements now and confirm that snow removal responsibilities are clearly assigned in writing. If you have not updated your leases recently, 2026 is a good time to do it. Make sure any assignment to tenants is specific about what areas they are responsible for.
Inspect your property’s walkways, steps, and parking areas before the first storm. Look for uneven surfaces where ice tends to pool, drainage issues that cause refreezing, and areas that get limited sun exposure and stay icy longest.
Establish a relationship with a snow removal expert before you need one. Calling around during a storm is stressful, and availability shrinks fast when half the city is buried. Getting on a service schedule in October or November puts you ahead of the problem.
If you want to learn more about what our services cover or get a quote for your rental property, we are ready to talk through the specifics with you.
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Reach Out Before the First Storm
Visit our Reno, NV location or reach out directly to discuss snow removal coverage for your rental property. Nick’s Property Cleanup & Hauling – Reno/Sparks serves landlords and property managers throughout Reno, Sparks, and the surrounding Northern Nevada area.
Call us at (775) 444-4147 or get in touch through our contact page to schedule service or ask about seasonal agreements. Getting this handled before winter makes everything easier — for you, for your tenants, and for anyone who walks onto your property.