New Hampshire HB 1371: proclaiming March 2 Reading in New Hampshire Day.

Bill Text

HB 1371 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-3009

 07/08

HOUSE BILL 1371

AN ACT prohibiting application fees for residential rental agreements.

SPONSORS: Rep. Lucas, Graf. 7; Rep. Booras, Hills. 8; Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Hegner, Hills. 41; Rep. Hicks, Merr. 24

COMMITTEE: Housing

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ANALYSIS

 This bill prohibits application fees for residential rental agreements.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-3009

 07/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT prohibiting application fees for residential rental agreements.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Section; Trade and Commerce; Protection of Tenants in Conversion of Rental Units; Residential Rental Application Fees. Amend RSA 356-C by inserting after section 11 the following new section: 

 356-C:12 Residential Rental Application Fees. 

 I. A landlord or a landlord’s agent shall not charge an application fee to any individual in order to apply to enter into a rental agreement for a residential dwelling unit. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a person from charging a fee to a person in order to apply to rent commercial or nonresidential property. 

 II.(a) In order to conduct a background or credit check, a landlord shall accept any of the following:

 (1) An original or a copy of any unexpired form of government-issued identification;

 (2) An individual taxpayer identification number; or

 (3) A social security number.

 (b) A landlord or a landlord’s agent shall not require a social security number for the completion of a residential rental application or refuse to accept an application due to the lack of a social security number. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.