HOUSING STANDARDS
New Hampshire law requires landlords to provide safe, sanitary housing for
tenants. A state law (RSA 48–A:14) spells out minimum standards for rental
property. (Your local community, particularly a city or larger town, may
have its own housing code, which can require your landlord to do more. Ask
at your town or city hall if your town has a housing code.)
You have the right to a home that has:
No infestation of bugs, mice, or rats.
Internal plumbing that works without a back-up of sewage caused by a
faulty septic or sewage system.
Safe wiring without exposed wires, the wrong connectors, bad
switches or outlets, or other conditions that create a danger of
electrical shock or fire.
Roofs and walls that do not leak.
Plaster that is not falling from the walls or ceilings.
Floors, walls, or ceilings with no large holes.
Porches, stairs, and railings which are structurally sound.
No garbage or rubbish in common areas due to the landlord’s failure to
remove it or to provide enough containers for storage before the trash
is to be taken away. This is a code violation unless you have accepted
responsibility for trash removal under the lease.
Enough water, and a water heater that works properly.
No leaks in the gas lines, or leaks, or defective pilot lights in any
appliance furnished by the landlord.
Heating facilities that are properly installed, safely maintained, and in
good working condition, and that can safely and adequately heat all
livable rooms and bathrooms to an average temperature of at least
65°. Or if heat is included in the rent, the premises must be kept at a
minimum average temperature of 65° in all livable rooms.