No, sleeping on a refrigerator in your Nevada backyard is not illegal under any specific state statute; this notion stems from debunked “dumb laws” lists that circulate online without legal basis. Nevada has laws related to refrigerators, such as NRS 202.560 requiring removal of doors from discarded appliances to prevent child entrapment, but nothing prohibits using one as outdoor furniture or sleeping surface on private property. Local zoning or HOA rules might restrict unconventional yard uses, but no statewide ban exists.​
Relevant Refrigerator Laws
Nevada Revised Statutes focus on safety for abandoned appliances:
- NRS 202.560 mandates owners remove doors from discarded refrigerators, iceboxes, or freezers accessible to children to avoid suffocation risks.
- NRS 118A.290 deems refrigerators “essential” in rentals if provided at move-in, requiring landlords to maintain them, but this does not apply to private backyard ownership.​
Backyard Use Considerations
Private property owners enjoy broad rights for backyard activities absent nuisance complaints or ordinances prohibiting hazards like fire risks from appliance storage. Zoning in areas like Las Vegas may limit visible clutter, potentially leading to citations for code violations rather than specific “sleeping” bans. HOAs often enforce aesthetic standards via covenants.​
Myth Origins
Quasi-legal lists claim oddities like “sleeping on top of a refrigerator outdoors” is illegal in Nevada (sometimes tied to Philadelphia), but these lack citations to enforceable code and serve as urban legends. Always verify with official statutes over folklore for property decisions.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/HendersonNV/comments/1ggl0xf/property_management_is_telling_me_the_fridge_that/)
[2](https://gracelegalgroup.com/criminal-laws/penal-code/402b/)
[3](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-118a.html)
[4](https://forestgrove.pgusd.org/documents/Computer-Lab/Strange-State-Laws.pdf)
[5](https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-putting-locks-on-fridge-or-freezers-at-night-be-5422811.html)
