New Hampshire’s rules come from RSA chapters 540 and 540-A. Two things stand out. First, unlike its neighbors Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont, New Hampshire has no source-of-income protection — a landlord may legally refuse a Section 8 voucher, and advocates report vouchers expiring unused because holders can’t find willing landlords. Second, RSA 540-A gives unusually strong anti-lockout remedies (at least $1,000 per violation). Deposits are capped at one month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater, and the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority runs about 4,300 statewide vouchers. This page covers where to apply, the tenant-law framework, and where to get help.
- 211 NH — dial 2-1-1, 24/7, for rent, utility, and shelter help
- New Hampshire Housing (NHHFA statewide vouchers): (603) 472-8623 · nhhfa.org
- 603 Legal Aid: 1-800-639-5290 · NH Legal Assistance (Fair Housing Project)
- NH Commission for Human Rights (fair housing): (603) 271-2767
- Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP) — apply through your regional Community Action Agency
- HUD fair housing: 1-800-669-9777
Major New Hampshire public housing authorities
Vouchers in New Hampshire come from local authorities and from the state. The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (NHHFA) is itself a PHA (HUD code NH901) administering roughly 4,300 Housing Choice Vouchers statewide, though its list has often been closed. The largest local authorities are:
- Manchester Housing & Redevelopment Authority (MHRA) — PHA NH001, (603) 624-2100; the largest, with about 2,176 vouchers plus public housing
- Nashua Housing & Redevelopment Authority — PHA NH002, (603) 883-5661; roughly 1,500 assisted households
- Portsmouth Housing Authority — PHA NH004, (603) 436-4310; has accepted applications for some lists
Apply to several, use HUD’s PHA directory, and read how to find your PHA. For tax-credit apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database. NHHFA also runs Home Flex mortgages and multifamily development financing.
Source of income: vouchers are not protected in New Hampshire
This is the most important thing for voucher holders to know. New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination law, RSA 354-A, does not include source of income among its protected classes, so a landlord may legally decline a Section 8 voucher and can advertise “no Section 8.” Bills to add the protection (HB 469 in 2023, HB 628 in 2026) have not become law. Federal fair-housing rules still bar discrimination by race, disability, familial status, and other classes. If your search is stalling, apply widely and ask authorities about landlord-outreach help. See our source-of-income protections guide.
Emergency rent & heating help in New Hampshire
- Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP) & Electric Assistance — delivered through the state’s five regional Community Action Agencies (Community Action Partnership of NH); see utility assistance programs
- The pandemic-era NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program has ended; NHHFA keeps a renter-resource page
- Dial 211 for the current list of rent and deposit funds, plus emergency rental assistance
New Hampshire tenant law: key protections at a glance
Quick reference: New Hampshire
- Voucher administrator: NHHFA statewide (NH901) plus Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth authorities
- Source-of-income protection: none — landlords may refuse vouchers
- Rent control: none statewide or local
- Nonpayment notice: a demand for rent plus a 7-day eviction notice (RSA 540:2, 540:3)
- Other-cause notice: generally 30 days; 7 days for substantial damage or conduct harming health/safety
- Security deposit: capped at one month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater; returned within 30 days (RSA 540-A:6, 540-A:7)
- Self-help eviction: illegal — at least $1,000 per violation, plus $1,000 for each day after a court order (RSA 540-A:4)
Security deposits
New Hampshire caps the deposit at one month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater (RSA 540-A:6). After the tenancy ends, the landlord must return it with a written itemized statement of damages within 30 days (RSA 540-A:7), and must pay interest if it was held a year or more. Read how to recover your security deposit.
Eviction process & strong anti-lockout damages
For nonpayment, the landlord serves a demand for rent and a 7-day eviction notice, and the notice must tell you that paying the arrears plus liquidated damages stops the eviction (RSA 540:3, 540:9). Most other grounds take a 30-day notice. Cases run in the Circuit Court’s District Division and commonly take about three to seven weeks. New Hampshire’s standout protection is against lockouts: under RSA 540-A, a landlord who changes the locks, removes belongings, or shuts off utilities owes at least $1,000 per violation, plus $1,000 for each day the violation continues after a court order, and no less than $3,000 if the unit is re-let. A 2025 law also lets you seek an emergency court order. Get help from 603 Legal Aid (1-800-639-5290) and read how to avoid eviction.
Nearby states
New England rules vary a lot — especially on vouchers:
- Maine tenant rights — voucher protection and Portland rent control
- Vermont tenant rights — voucher protection and long no-cause notice
- Rhode Island tenant rights — voucher protection and a centralized waitlist
- Massachusetts tenant rights
- Connecticut tenant rights
Where to get help in New Hampshire
Tenant help & legal aid: 603 Legal Aid (1-800-639-5290) handles statewide intake, and New Hampshire Legal Assistance runs a Fair Housing Project.
Discrimination complaints: the NH Commission for Human Rights (603-271-2767) enforces RSA 354-A — note that voucher refusal alone is not covered, since source of income is not a protected class.
Vouchers & local PHAs: start with New Hampshire Housing (603-472-8623) or the Manchester, Nashua, or Portsmouth authority.
211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 for rent, heating, and shelter help statewide.
Next Steps
Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool maps New Hampshire programs to your situation in about two minutes.
If your landlord changed the locks or shut off your heat, that is illegal under RSA 540-A — call 603 Legal Aid (1-800-639-5290) and read eviction prevention.