New Hampshire Tenants' Rights

New Hampshire state law governs landlord-tenant relationships.

Know your rights as a tenant. New Hampshire state law grants renters certain rights, which landlords cannot violate. Understanding your rights as a tenant can protect you from unfair practices.

Discrimination

Under New Hampshire state law, landlords cannot refuse to rent to tenants based on age, gender, race, nationality, marital or family status, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Landlords also cannot evict tenants for contracting acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Eviction

Landlords must provide tenants with written notice of eviction and generally can evict tenants only for the following reasons: failure to pay rent; substantial damage to the property; failure to comply with the lease; behavior that endangers other tenants, the landlord or his representatives; lead-based paint hazards or removal of the rental property from the market. If a landlord has another cause to evict a tenant, he must first give the tenant a written warning to correct unacceptable behavior.

Late Payment

Landlords must give tenants seven days' notice of eviction for nonpayment of rent. Landlords cannot evict tenants for nonpayment of rent if the tenants pay before the expiration of the notice plus $15 in damages, unless the tenants have done so more than three times in the past 12 months.

References

• New Hampshire General Court: Title XXXI Trade and Commerce
• New Hampshire General Court: Title LV Proceedings in Special Cases

Resources

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Tenant Rights, Laws and Protections: New Hampshire