Tenants under the age of 60 who live in a building with less than six apartments and whose landlord lives in the same building.Tenants who rent a single family home from a landlord who owns no other property.RSA 540-A:5 defines the legal relationship between landlords and tenants so that both will be treated fairly. Buck's office, keeping the copy for her own files. The next day, she makes a copy of the inventory and sends the original to Mr. When she finishes making the inventory, she signs and dates it. She finds a big stain on the carpet in the dining area, along with some slightly worn spots on the linoleum in the kitchen, and a couple of small holes in the bedroom window screen. Martha moves into her new apartment on the first of the month and before her friends help her move her furniture in, she goes through the unit looking for preexisting damages. Buck's agent gives her a receipt indicating that the security deposit funds are held in an account at the 2nd National Bank in Concord. Martha pays her security deposit, equivalent to one month's rent, when she signs the lease. If the security deposit is held for more than 12 months, the landlord must pay at least the amount of interest she or he has actually earned on the money.Įxample: Martha signs a 2-year lease agreement to rent an apartment in one of the large apartment complexes owned by Mr. The receipt must indicate the bank in which the deposit is being held, or state that there is a bond posted with the town clerk, and must state that the tenant has five (5) days to give the landlord a list of defects and damages in the apartment when she or he moved in. The tenant is entitled to a receipt for the deposit. The landlord must keep security deposits in a special escrow account or post a bond with the local municipality to secure repayment. In New Hampshire, a landlord who owns more than six units can ask for no more than one month's rent or $100, whichever is larger, as a security deposit. The amount is a "security deposit" if it is anything other than the monthly rent. The name given to the payment - cleaning deposit, last month's rent in advance, etc. New Hampshire's law on security deposits (RSA 540-A) defines a security deposit as any money that a tenant gives to his or her landlord other than the monthly rental payment.
A landlord can also include a clause to force a mid-lease rent increase if property taxes are increased. The maximum occupancy clause limits the number of people who can live in the apartment. For instance, an automatic renewal clause renews an expired lease automatically unless you notify the landlord in writing that you do not intend to renew the lease. Tenants should always get receipts for what they pay to the landlord (although canceled checks often are adequate to prove payment).īeware of "waivers" in a lease in which the tenant gives up rights under certain conditions. New Hampshire law requires that the landlord give a copy of the lease to the tenant within 30 days after the signing. Keep a copy of the lease so that you can refer to it if a problem arises.
All promises to make repairs to the leased property should be made in writing. If the landlord and tenant agree to change anything in the printed lease, the change should be made in writing and both tenant and landlord should put their initials beside the change. A prospective tenant should find out who pays for the hot water, utilities, parking, snow removal, trash removal, and other costs before the lease is signed. A lease is a legally binding contract so the tenant must understand and agree with the terms of the lease. A prospective tenant needs to read the lease carefully before signing it. The terms of the lease, therefore, are often written in the landlord's favor. Leases are usually prepared by landlords. Leases are important legal documents governing the rights and duties of renters of any type of housing. Preface | User's Guide | Table of Contents | Print Sourcebook Registered Health Clubs & Martial Arts Schools.