Vetoed by Governor Chris Sununu

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that requires landlords to offer tenants a 6-month repayment plan for nonpayment of rent before filing an eviction.

Highlights:

• Prohibits the governing body or overseers of public welfare from requiring the issuance of an eviction notice before providing rental assistance (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that an eviction notice may be required to assist the applicant in documenting emergency needs for emergency assistance, timely application and decision making, and referrals to other agencies with requirements for consideration of additional rent arrearage assistance (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that a duty of good faith and fair dealing is implied in any loan secured by a mortgage of real estate, made by a bank, mortgage company, or any other financial institution from the inception of the loan until the borrower has fully performed all obligations under the note and mortgage, or the mortgage has completed the foreclosure process (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits landlords from filing a possessory action based on nonpayment of rent or other lawful charges set forth in the lease or rental agreement, which became due and payable during the state of emergency, unless they have made a written offer to permit the tenant to pay the entire arrearage in partial payments over a 6-month period beginning with the first rental period following the date of the offer (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires landlords to give sooner notice of increases to rent.

Highlights:

• Specifies that this bill applies to all residential rental property except (Sec. 1):

• “Nonrestricted property;”

• Rental units in properties in buildings or apartment complexes containing a total of 4 or fewer dwelling units provided that the property is owned by a natural person and that the owner does not rent more than 4 dwelling units;

• Occupancies described in RSA 540:1-a, IV;

• Shared facilities;

• Vacation or recreational rental units;

• A dwelling unit in which, due to a federal or state rent subsidy based on the tenant’s household income, the rent does not affect the amount paid by the tenant as their share of the rent; and

• Manufactured housing in a manufactured housing park governed by RSA 205-A.

• Prohibits any increase in a tenant’s rent which exceeds 5 percent of the tenant’s current rent unless the tenant has been served with no less than 60 days prior written notice of the amount and effective date of the rent increase (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits any increase in a tenant’s rent which exceeds 8 percent of the tenant’s current rent unless the tenant has been served with no less than 90 days prior written notice of the amount and effective date of the rent increase (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that these prohibitions will apply to any rent increase that becomes effective upon or after the expiration of the lease, provided however that the landlord can provide the notice of rent increase required by this paragraph during the term of the lease (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text