1.  A person who takes up residence in an uninhabited or vacant dwelling and knows or has reason to believe that such residency is without permission of the owner of the dwelling or an authorized representative of the owner is guilty of unlawful occupancy.

Attorney's Note

Under the Nevada Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
category D felony1 to 4 yearsup to $5,000
gross misdemeanorup to 364 daysup to $2,000
For details, see Nev. Rev. Stat. § 193.130 and Nev. Rev. Stat. § 193.140

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Terms Used In Nevada Revised Statutes 205.0817

  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • person: means a natural person, any form of business or social organization and any other nongovernmental legal entity including, but not limited to, a corporation, partnership, association, trust or unincorporated organization. See Nevada Revised Statutes 0.039

2.  A person is presumed to know that the residency described in subsection 1 is without the permission of the owner of the dwelling or an authorized representative of the owner unless the person provides a written rental agreement that:

(a) Is notarized or is signed by an authorized agent of the owner who at the time of signing holds a permit to engage in property management pursuant to chapter 645 of NRS; and

(b) Includes the current address and telephone number of the owner or his or her authorized representative.

3.  A person convicted of unlawful occupancy is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. A person convicted of unlawful occupancy and who has been convicted three or more times of unlawful occupancy is guilty of a category D felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130.

4.  A person who is accused of unlawful occupancy pursuant to subsection 1 and has previously been convicted two times of housebreaking, unlawful occupancy or any lesser included or related offense, or any combination thereof, arising from the same set of facts is presumed to have obtained residency of the dwelling with the knowledge that:

(a) Any asserted lease is invalid; and

(b) Neither the owner nor an authorized representative of the owner permitted the residency.