New Hampshire Lease Agreement with ezSign

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Now with ezSign. Like all states, New Hampshire has unique leasing laws, our NH lease wizard summarizes laws as you create a New Hampshire rental agreement.

Document Last Modified: 7/29/2024

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Landlord Tenant Law in New Hampshire


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Pro Tip: Before signing a Lease Agreement, ALWAYS SCREEN TENANTS.

Good Tenant Screening starts with a Rental Application and includes a credit report, ResidentScore, criminal history background report, and eviction history report. Start your screening and view sample reports here.

Table of Contents

New Hampshire Residential Lease Agreement

Our New Hampshire Rental Agreement is EZ to create online in minutes, covers all terms of your rental relationship, and is guaranteed to comply with all NH Lease laws!

Here’s how we make it EZ to create a great, state-specific Lease Agreement:

  1. Follow user-friendly prompts to create and customize your Lease online.
  2. Get State Assist tips as you create your Lease that point out important state laws.
  3. All state-required language, clauses, and disclosures are AUTOMATICALLY added to your Lease.
  4. Add additional documents, addendums, or disclosures that you need with just the click of a button.
  5. Review and sign your Lease entirely online using our electronic signing tool, ezSign.

Create New Hampshire Lease

Landlord Tenant Law in New Hampshire


Pro Tip: We have over 25 additional documents, addendums, and disclosures that you can add to your Lease Package with just the click of a button. For example, choose from a Pet Addendum, Pool/Hot Tub Addendum, or Guest Policy.

Landlord-Tenant Laws

Our New Hampshire Lease Agreement is guaranteed to comply with all NH Lease laws.

Even so, we know that Pro Landlords need to be familiar with state laws when managing their rental units!

Category State Law
Ending and Renewing 30 days’ notice is required by statute for termination of a Lease Agreement. N.H. Rev. Stat. 540:2, 540:3
Security Deposit The security deposit shall not exceed one month's rent. If the deposit is not paid by check, the Landlord must provide the Tenant with a receipt including the amount and where the deposit will be held. Landlords shall provide written notice to the tenant that a written list of conditions in the rental unit in need of repair or correction if any, should be given to the Landlord within 5 days of occupancy. Finally, interest must be paid on security deposits held for a year or longer.
Returned Payment Fee Landlords may assess a collection fee for a dishonored payment of no more than $25 unless otherwise authorized by a written agreement with the tenant.
Late Fee There are no statutes that regulate late fees on rentals.
Insurance Requirements Landlords may require Tenants to obtain rental insurance.
Notice to Enter Landlords are required to provide reasonable notice before entering for non-emergency reasons.
Landlord Requirements Medical Marijuana: The use of medical marijuana is legal in the state of New Hampshire under special circumstances. Marijuana cannot be used on someone else’s property without the written permission of the property owner or, in the case of Leased property, without the permission of the tenant. IMPORTANT: Marijuana cannot be smoked on Leased premises if doing so would violate rental policies.

Smoke Detectors: Every rental unit as defined in RSA 153:1, IX-a shall be equipped with at least one automatic fire-warning device. An automatic fire warning device shall be located in each hallway or area which is adjacent to a sleeping area. The provisions of this paragraph shall be in addition to any requirements under paragraph II. The owner of the rental unit shall be responsible for maintaining the automatic fire-warning device in a suitable condition.

BEDBUGS: Landlords MUST begin remediation within seven days of being notified by a Tenant that bed bugs are in a rental unit. If the Landlord fails to act, the Tenant can ask a judge to order remediation. The Tenant must allow the Landlord to enter within 72 hours after notification. If the Landlord gets a complaint from a connecting unit, the Landlord is allowed emergency entry into that unit with 48 hours of notice. The Landlord must provide written instructions for preparing the rental for remediation 72 hours in advance. Failure by the Tenant to comply may lead to eviction, but Landlords must allow for reasonable requests for other accommodations.

Landlords are required to pay upfront for remediation, but Tenants may be required to repay the Landlord if they are responsible for the infestation. Landlords must attempt to work out a reasonable repayment plan with the Tenant. The Tenant is presumed to be responsible if only his or her unit has bed bugs and there have been no other reports in the unit or adjacent units in the six months. Landlords can evict Tenants responsible for an infestation who don’t pay for remediation if the Landlord shows a reasonable repayment plan was offered to the Tenant. The law is silent on the type of remediation, but Landlords must show a sizable reduction of the infestation in 60 days.

Contact your local housing or zoning office to be sure your rental property complies with city and county requirements for inspections, rent control, occupancy limits, property codes, and zoning. Many cities and counties require inspections and registrations and have specific maintenance regulations.

Required Disclosures

Note: All New Hampshire required disclosures are automatically included in our NH Rental Contract!

  • Lead-Based Paint Disclosure: Pursuant to federal law, if a property was built before 1978, occupants must be provided with a lead-based paint disclosure.
  • Move-in Checklist: Landlords that accept a security deposit must provide a written list of the condition of the rental unit at move-in within 5 days of when the Tenant takes possession of the property.
  • Security Deposit Receipt: If a Tenant pays a security deposit in any other method than a check, the Landlord must provide the Tenant with a receipt within 5 days of when the Tenant takes possession of the rental unit. The receipt must name the bank where the funds are deposited.
addenda and disclosures

Have another disclosure or form that you want to add? You can add it with just the click of a box! Choose from over 25 addendums, disclosures, and additional documents including a Pet Addendum, a Winter Weather Addendum, or an Emergency Repairs Addendum.

Advice for Landlords in Portsmouth

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the standard Lease term in New Hampshire?

The standard Lease term is one year (12 months). That said, shorter or longer Lease periods are allowed as long as the term is clearly stated in the Lease Agreement.

To meet every Landlord's needs, we offer short-term and long-term Lease Agreements, including a Month-to-Month Lease and a Vacation Rental Contract.

Who needs a Lease Agreement in New Hampshire?

Anyone who rents real estate in New Hampshire needs a Lease Agreement. This is true whether it’s an apartment, single-family home, duplex, or condo. It’s vital to have a written Lease Agreement to outline the terms of the rental relationship and to protect both parties if problems arise.

While a basic, simple Lease form is better than nothing, it’s best to avoid generic Leases. A blank or fillable template can’t be customized to meet all facets of your property. As a result, it’s better to customize a Lease that will cover all terms of your rental and ensure complete protection for Landlords.

Does my Lease need to be state-specific?

Yes. The Lease Agreement needs to comply with the state laws where the property is located. This is why it’s vital for the Landlord, or lessor, to always have a state-specific Lease. If it’s not state-specific, the Lease won’t offer full protection should you have to go to court. If renters break the Lease, you want to feel confident that the Lease will be enforceable in a court of law!

There are some basic state-specific Lease forms available, for example, the one offered by the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, but we advise against these simple Lease forms. Instead, create and customize a state-specific Lease Agreement that you know will offer complete protection in the event of Lease violations.

How should I store my Lease Agreement?

It’s important that your executed Lease Agreements are stored securely but also easily accessible. There are a number of ways you can do this, depending on personal preference.

Our Lease Agreements are automatically stored securely on the cloud using ezCloudStorage. In addition, they’re EZ to print if you want to have a hard copy. Or, you can download the Lease as a PDF to either save or print. It’s really up to you, just make sure you have a good system in place!


Pro Tip: The Lease Agreement is THE most important form Landlords use. NEVER hand over legal possession of the property until you have a signed, legally binding Lease in place!

New Hampshire Rental Forms and Templates

The Lease is just one of many forms that Landlords need. Thankfully, we’ve got a library full of state-specific property management forms for Landlords.

  • Rental Application: Our Free Rental Application is the best way to start the Tenant Screening Process. All you need is an Applicant’s name and email address to send them a Rental Application and start the screening process.
  • Tenant Welcome Letter: Share important information with new Tenants in this EZ to customize the welcome letter.

Pro Tip: setting up good Landlord-Tenant communication from day 1 is a great way to ensure strong landlord-tenant relationships.

  • Rent Ledger: Our Free Rent Ledger helps Landlords stay organized and provides important documentation of any missed payments.
  • New Hampshire Demand for Rent: Use this form if Tenants have fallen behind on rent. It gives Tenants 7 days to pay rent and is a necessary first step in the eviction process.
  • New Hampshire Eviction Notice: Use this Notice for Lease violations other than nonpayment of rent. It’s a necessary first step in the eviction process.
  • New Hampshire Property Abandonment Letter: This letter should be used if a Tenant vacates a rental unit but leaves personal property behind.
Residential Leases

Need another form? We have around 400 more!

Other State Lease Agreements

If you Lease real estate in multiple states, you need a state-specific Lease Agreement for every unit. That’s why we have state-specific Leases for all 50 states!

Need another state’s Lease? We’ve got them all!

Create New Hampshire Lease Agreement

Ready to customize your Lease Agreement? It only takes about 15 minutes to ensure that you and your investment are completely protected!

  • EZ to create and customize online in about 15 minutes.
  • All state-required terms, disclosures, and language are AUTOMATICALLY included.
  • Includes access to electronic signing and electronic storage.

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