Bill > HB1336

This bill allows landlords to require a security deposit of up to two months' rent from rental applicants who do not meet certain standard approval criteria, with specific conditions and protections. Under the proposed law, landlords can charge an elevated security deposit if an applicant fails to meet pre-disclosed approval standards, such as having a credit score below 650, gross income less than three times the monthly rent, a history of eviction proceedings, outstanding unpaid judgments, or no prior rental history. The bill mandates that landlords must provide written notice explaining the grounds for the higher deposit and inform applicants of their right to request a re-screening. Tenants can request a re-screening at their own expense (no more than once every six months), and if they can demonstrate they now meet the standard criteria, the landlord must remove the additional deposit requirement. The bill explicitly does not compel landlords to accept applicants or approve them solely based on the higher deposit option, and it maintains landlords' discretion in setting approval criteria. Importantly, the bill preserves existing protections by requiring that more restrictive criteria still conform to standard security deposit limits. The new provisions will take effect 60 days after the bill's passage.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=2143&inflect=2