If someone slips on an icy walkway at a rental property in Reno, the first question most people ask is: who pays? The landlord? The injured person? Or the tenant who was supposed to shovel the walk? It’s a real question with real legal consequences, and the answer depends heavily on what your lease says, what Nevada law requires, and whether someone actually followed through on their snow removal duties.
At Nick’s Property Cleanup & Hauling – Reno/Sparks, we’ve worked with both tenants and property owners who got caught off guard after a winter storm — either because they didn’t know who was responsible or because they assumed someone else had it handled. This 2026 guide breaks down what tenants need to know before the next snowfall hits the Truckee Meadows.
What Nevada Law Says About Snow Removal Responsibility?
Nevada doesn’t have a single statute that explicitly assigns snow removal duties to tenants or landlords by default. Under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 118A, landlords are required to maintain rental property in a habitable and reasonably safe condition. That generally includes keeping common areas and access points free of hazards — including ice and snow.
But here’s the catch: the lease can shift that responsibility. If a lease agreement specifically assigns snow removal to the tenant, courts in Nevada have generally upheld that arrangement. The tenant becomes responsible for clearing walkways, steps, and driveways as outlined in the agreement. When a tenant fails to do that and someone gets hurt, liability can follow the tenant.
This isn’t unique to Nevada. The Restatement (Second) of Torts, which Nevada courts reference, recognizes that occupiers of property — including tenants — can be held liable for dangerous conditions they created or failed to fix when they had the duty to do so.
When a Tenant Can Be Held Liable?
Say your lease says you’re responsible for snow removal on the sidewalk and front walkway. A guest slips on ice you didn’t clear and breaks a wrist. That guest can potentially sue you — the tenant — for negligence.
To win that suit, they’d generally need to show four things: you had a duty to clear the snow (established by the lease), you failed to do it, that failure caused the fall, and actual harm resulted. Under those facts, a tenant has real exposure.
The situation gets more complicated in multi-unit properties. If you rent a unit in a duplex or apartment complex, you typically don’t control shared areas like parking lots or main walkways. In those cases, the landlord usually retains responsibility for common areas regardless of what the lease says about individual tenant duties. Washoe County property disputes sometimes hinge on exactly these kinds of distinctions.
One scenario that often surprises tenants: if you took it upon yourself to shovel but did a poor job — say, you cleared most of the walk but left a patch of ice — you may have created a new liability by partially performing a task you weren’t required to do at all. The legal principle here is that a voluntary undertaking, done negligently, can create liability where none existed before.
The Role of the Lease in Reno Rentals
Read your lease before winter arrives. That sounds obvious, but many tenants sign without paying close attention to maintenance clauses. Look for language like “tenant shall maintain the premises,” “tenant is responsible for grounds upkeep,” or specific references to snow, ice, or sidewalk clearing.
If your lease is vague, that ambiguity usually favors the landlord in court — courts tend to interpret unclear maintenance language as retaining the landlord’s default duty to maintain safe conditions. But if the language is clear and specific, it will generally be enforced.
Some Reno landlords include snow removal clauses that sound reasonable on the surface but are actually very broad. A clause saying “tenant shall keep all exterior areas clear of snow and debris” could theoretically cover the entire property — even areas the tenant rarely uses. If you’re unsure what your lease requires, ask before signing.
What Happens If No One Clears the Snow?
If neither the landlord nor the tenant clears snow and someone gets hurt, both parties may face liability. Nevada follows a comparative negligence standard under NRS 41.141, which means fault can be split among multiple parties. A landlord who assigned snow removal to a tenant but also failed to supervise, warn guests, or maintain basic safety may still carry partial liability.
This is why property owners and tenants alike should document their snow removal efforts — timestamps on photos, text messages to property managers confirming the work was done, or receipts from a snow removal service. That paper trail can make or break a negligence claim.
OSHA also publishes guidance on walking surface hazards, particularly relevant for rental properties that function as worksites or shared housing. While OSHA rules apply primarily to employers, the general duty principle — that you must maintain safe conditions for people you invite onto a property — applies broadly.
Why Hiring a Snow Removal Expert Is the Smarter Move?
For tenants who are contractually responsible for snow removal, handling it personally creates two problems: inconsistency and liability exposure. You might clear the walk after a major storm but miss the thin layer of re-freeze that forms overnight.
A professional snow removal service operates on a schedule, keeps records of service visits, and uses the right tools for the job — including ice melt products suited to Reno’s freeze-thaw cycles. That service record becomes documentation if a liability question ever comes up.
Our team at Nick’s Property Cleanup & Hauling – Reno/Sparks has worked on rental properties across the Truckee Meadows where tenants carry the responsibility but don’t have the time or equipment to stay on top of it reliably. What we see most often is tenants who do their best but miss a critical window — the overnight refreeze after a storm, the shaded corner of the walkway that never gets sun. A regular service visit catches those spots. You can see what our clients think about the results on our client reviews page.
Protecting Yourself Before the Next Storm
First, read your lease and know exactly what you’re required to do. Second, if you’re responsible for snow removal, either build a consistent routine or hire someone to do it. Third, document everything — photos, dates, service receipts.
If you’re a tenant in Reno dealing with a landlord who won’t maintain common areas despite a legal obligation to do so, Northern Nevada Public Health and the Nevada Legislature’s tenant resources both offer guidance on housing safety complaints. Don’t wait for someone to get hurt before addressing a hazard.
If you’re not sure who handles what on your property, talk to your landlord in writing. Get the clarification documented. And if the answer is “you do,” make a plan now rather than after the first major snowfall of the season.
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Ready to stop guessing and start knowing the job gets done? Get in touch with our team or call us directly at (775) 444-4147. You can also learn more about our experience and the work we do across the Reno-Sparks area. Visit our Reno, NV location or get a quote online today.
Written by Nick Martie