Housing & Tenant · Eviction Notice
Eviction Notice in New Hampshire
How many days of written notice a landlord must give before filing an eviction in New Hampshire, broken down by reason, and what you can do about it, cited to the statute.
Every notice period in New Hampshire
The written notice for each reason a landlord can end a tenancy, and what each one means.
| Reason for the notice | Notice in New Hampshire | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | Can fix and stay7 days | A 7-day notice to quit, which must inform the tenant of the right to avoid eviction by paying the arrearages and liquidated damages under RSA 540:9 (RSA 540:3, ground at RSA 540:2 II(a)). |
| Substantial damage to the premises | 7 days | Substantial damage to the premises by the tenant, household members, or guests supports a 7-day notice (RSA 540:2 II(b)). |
| Failure to comply with a material lease term | Can fix and stay30 days | Failure to comply with a material term of the lease carries a 30-day notice (RSA 540:2 II(c)). |
| Other good cause | 30 days | Other good cause, which the statute defines to include any legitimate business or economic reason, carries a 30-day notice (RSA 540:2 II(e)). Recent amendments have added grounds, and the notice must state its reason with specificity. |
| Just-cause rules | Overlay | This is the headline fact for New Hampshire, and it is widely missed. RSA 540:2 splits property into restricted and nonrestricted. For restricted property, which covers most ordinary rentals, the landlord may terminate only for a listed reason. The catch is the width of the final ground: other good cause is defined to include any legitimate business or economic reason and need not be based on anything the tenant did. |
| After the notice | Court | The notice to quit must state with specificity the reason for the eviction, which makes a vague New Hampshire notice defective on its face. A landlord and tenant writ follows. Only a court can order a tenant removed. |
| Statute | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §540:3; §540:2; §540:9 | The controlling statute for these notice periods. Read the full text through the source link below. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you have received an eviction notice in New Hampshire. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Check the notice names a specific reason
For most New Hampshire homes the landlord must state a good cause, and the notice has to give the reason with specificity. A vague notice that does not name a valid ground is defective on its face, which can be a defense.
- Pay the arrearages to avoid a rent eviction
A 7-day rent notice must tell you about your right to avoid eviction by paying the arrearages and liquidated damages under RSA 540:9. If you can pay, do so within the period and get written confirmation that the tenancy continues.
- Respond to the landlord and tenant writ
If you do not resolve it, the landlord files a landlord and tenant writ and you are served with a court date. Appear with your lease, receipts, and any messages. A tenant who does not show up can lose by default.
- Get local legal help
A local New Hampshire legal aid office can check whether your rental is restricted property and whether the notice states a valid reason. Search for legal aid in your area and act before the court date.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.
What New Hampshire renters get wrong
New Hampshire is a just-cause state that almost nobody lists as one. A landlord renting ordinary residential property, which the statute calls restricted property, cannot simply end the tenancy because the term ran out. They have to name a reason from a statutory list, and the notice has to state that reason with specificity, so a vague notice is defective on its face (RSA 540:2 and 540:3). The notice periods track the ground: seven days for unpaid rent and for substantial damage to the premises, and thirty days for a material lease-term violation or for other good cause. What softens the protection is the last item on the list. Other good cause is defined to reach any legitimate business or economic reason and does not have to be about anything the renter did, so New Hampshire renters get a strong procedural protection and a narrower substantive one. A 7-day rent notice also has to tell the tenant about the right to avoid eviction by paying the arrears and liquidated damages under RSA 540:9. After the notice, a landlord and tenant writ follows, and only a court can order a tenant out.
Common questions
Does my New Hampshire landlord need a reason to evict me?
What is restricted property in New Hampshire?
It is the category of residential property that the just-cause protection covers, as opposed to nonrestricted property. Most ordinary rentals are restricted, which means the landlord must name a statutory ground to terminate rather than simply ending the tenancy at the end of the term.
Can a New Hampshire landlord evict me for a business reason?
Potentially, yes. The other good cause ground in RSA 540:2 is defined to include any legitimate business or economic reason and need not be based on anything you did. That is the economic escape valve built into an otherwise strong just-cause law, and it carries a 30-day notice.
What happens if the New Hampshire notice does not state a reason?
It is defective on its face. RSA 540:3 requires the notice to quit to state the reason for the eviction with specificity, so a vague notice that fails to name a valid ground can be challenged and may not support the eviction.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.