New Hampshire Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
New Hampshire rules on rent increases & late fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap in RSA ch. 540. On restricted property, a tenant's refusal of a rent increase is good cause for eviction only if the landlord gave at least 30 days' written notice of the amount and effective date. RSA 540:2, IV; RSA 31:39; RSA 47:17
The rules in New Hampshire
| Rent control / increase limits | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap in RSA ch. 540. On restricted property, a tenant's refusal of a rent increase is good cause for eviction only if the landlord gave at least 30 days' written notice of the amount and effective date. Local rent control: no statute expressly preempts it, but none authorizes it either. The general bylaw and ordinance powers of towns (RSA 31:39) and cities (RSA 47:17) list specific subjects and do not include regulating rents, so no New Hampshire city or town has clear authority to adopt rent control. Town powers: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/III/31/31-39.htm (as amended through 2025, 61:1); city powers: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/III/47/47-17.htm. HB 1619 (2026), which would have expressly banned rent control, was sent to interim study by the House (House Record, March 6, 2026, p. 25), so it did not become law. |
|---|---|
| Late fees | No statutory cap or grace period found. RSA ch. 540 contains no late-fee provision; RSA 540:9 refers only to 'other lawful charges contained in the lease' and the $15 liquidated damages paid to cure a nonpayment case. No official AG/court page confirming the absence of any other late-fee rule was found. |
Free calculators
- Late Fee Checker — Check a late fee against your state's cap and grace period.
- Rent Increase Calculator — In states with a statewide rent cap, see the most your rent can go up this year.
Related questions
- Can a landlord raise the rent in the middle of a lease?
- How much can a landlord charge for a late fee?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent?
- Can a landlord evict you for no reason?
New Hampshire vs. neighboring states
| State | Rent control / increase limits | Late fees |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap in RSA ch. 540. On restricted property, a tenant's refusal of a rent increase is good cause for eviction only if the landlord gave at least 30 days' written notice of the amount and effective date. Local rent control: no statute expressly preempts it, but none authorizes it either. The general bylaw and ordinance powers of towns (RSA 31:39) and cities (RSA 47:17) list specific subjects and do not include regulating rents, so no New Hampshire city or town has clear authority to adopt rent control. RSA 540:2, IV; RSA 31:39; RSA 47:17 | No statutory cap or grace period found. RSA ch. 540 (no late-fee section) |
| Maine | No statewide cap on rent amounts. State law regulates increases by notice: at least 45 days' written notice of any rent or mandatory recurring fee increase, and 75 days' notice if the increase (or several increases within 12 months) totals 10% or more. Rent may not be increased while the unit violates the warranty of habitability. State law does not preempt local rent control, and Portland has a local rent control ordinance. 14 M.R.S. §§ 6015, 6016 | Cap of 4% of one month's rent. Rent is not 'late' until 15 days after it is due. Landlord must give written notice of the possible late fee at the start of the rental agreement or no fee may be charged. 14 M.R.S. § 6028 |
| Massachusetts | Banned statewide by state law, and the ban is still in force. 'No city or town may enact, maintain or enforce rent control of any kind,' except a narrow program in a municipality that accepts c. 40P. Owner compliance with that program must be voluntary after 6 months, it cannot cover owners of fewer than 10 units or units with a fair market rent above $400, and the town must pay owners the difference from general funds. There is no statewide cap on rent increases. Rent control is NOT on the November 3, 2026 state ballot. The Secretary of the Commonwealth lists nine binding statewide questions (Questions 1-8 are initiative laws and Question 9 is a referendum on the 2024 firearms law), and none of them deals with rent control or rent stabilization. The rent-control initiative (Initiative Petition 25-21, 'An Initiative Petition to Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases') was challenged at the Supreme Judicial Court in Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893. G.L. c. 40P, §§ 3-4; Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2026 State Election Ballot Questions; Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893 | No interest or penalty for late rent may be charged until rent is 30 days overdue. There is no statutory dollar or percentage cap. G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c) |
| Vermont | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap. Landlord must give at least 60 days' actual notice of a rent increase, effective the first day of the next rental period. Local rent control: no state statute expressly preempts or authorizes it, and the city charters of Burlington, Montpelier and Winooski do not authorize rent control. Burlington's charter lets the City Council, by ordinance, require at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase, and (where there is no written lease) at least 90 days' notice of a no-cause termination for tenancies under two years and 120 days for longer ones, but it does not allow limits on the amount of rent. 9 V.S.A. 4455(b); 24 App. V.S.A. ch. 3, § 48(64)-(65) (Burlington charter) | No statutory cap or grace period. 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 |
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- Free legal help in New Hampshire
Compare rent increases & late fees in all 50 states and DC →
New Hampshire Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws FAQ
Is there rent control or a limit on rent increases in New Hampshire?
No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap in RSA ch. 540. On restricted property, a tenant's refusal of a rent increase is good cause for eviction only if the landlord gave at least 30 days' written notice of the amount and effective date. Local rent control: no statute expressly preempts it, but none authorizes it either. The general bylaw and ordinance powers of towns (RSA 31:39) and cities (RSA 47:17) list specific subjects and do not include regulating rents, so no New Hampshire city or town has clear authority to adopt rent control. (RSA 540:2, IV; RSA 31:39; RSA 47:17)
Is there a limit on late fees in New Hampshire?
No statutory cap or grace period found. (RSA ch. 540 (no late-fee section))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.