A New Hampshire lease agreement is a document written according to New Hampshire’s landlord-tenant laws. The lease agreement creates a legally binding contract between the landlord and their tenant(s). The landlord agrees to rent out all (or a part of) their property to a tenant, and they agree to the terms and conditions within the lease agreement.
Within a lease agreement, a landlord can ensure to include the tenant’s name, their name, the address of the property being rented, clarification on whether pets are permitted, known health risks, and rent payment information.
Laws
Required Lease Disclosures
According to federal law (42 U.S. Code § 4852d), a landlord must inform a tenant if the building they’re renting was built before 1978. The building’s interior may contain lead paint, which can lead to lead poisoning, particularly in young children and pregnant women.
Some other disclosures, according to the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSAs), are:
- Lease copy: A landlord must issue a copy of the lease with the parties’ signatures to the tenant within 30 days (Consumer Sourcebook).
- Move-in checklist: A landlord must provide a tenant with a list of necessary repairs within five days of the tenant moving in (§ 540-A:6(I)(c)).
- Security deposit receipt: A landlord must provide a tenant with a copy of their security deposit receipt unless they paid with a government-issued check, a bank check, or a personal check. The receipt must specify where the landlord is holding the funds (§ 540-A:6(I)(b)).
Security Deposit
According to § 540-A:6, a landlord can’t charge more than one month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater. A landlord must return a tenant’s security deposit within thirty days of the end of the lease.
Landlord Right of Entry
A landlord must provide reasonable written or verbal notice before entering the property when a tenant lives there (§ 540-A:3).
Small Claims Court
A tenant may sue a landlord for failing to return a security deposit in small claims court. In New Hampshire, a tenant can bring a landlord to small claims court for any amount up to $10,000 (NH Rev Stat § 503:1).
Sample
If you want to start outlining your terms so you can rent out your property, download our New Hampshire residential lease agreement template as a PDF or Word file below:
