A New Hampshire eviction notice is a written notice a landlord serves on a tenant to end the tenancy before filing an eviction case in court. Common reasons include nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or ending the tenancy without cause. The eviction notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove the tenant from the property.
New Hampshire law requires the notice to state the reason for eviction with specificity, and it must give the tenant a set number of days before the landlord can go to court. The required notice period depends on the reason. Nonpayment of rent generally requires seven days' notice, while ending a tenancy without cause generally requires 30 days. New Hampshire also sets rules for how a notice must be delivered, what it must say, and how the landlord proves it was served.
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Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current New Hampshire law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
New Hampshire law sets the minimum notice a landlord must give before filing an eviction case. A landlord must give at least seven days' written notice when the reason is nonpayment of rent or one of the specific grounds listed in RSA 540:2, II(a), (b), or (d). Every other residential termination requires at least 30 days' written notice, and the notice must state with specificity the reason for the eviction.[2.2]
A New Hampshire eviction notice is also called a "notice to quit" or a "notice to vacate." All three names refer to the same written notice a landlord must serve before filing an eviction case.
Reasons for eviction generally fall into a few broad categories:
When the seven-day notice period applies instead of 30 days, the reason must be one of the specific grounds identified in RSA 540:2, II(a), (b), or (d).[2.1]
"No lessor or owner of restricted property shall terminate a tenancy solely based on a tenant or a household member of a tenant having been a victim of domestic violence as defined in RSA 173-B, sexual assault as defined in RSA 632-A, or stalking as defined in RSA 633:3-a."
This protection applies only if the tenant or household member gives the landlord written verification of a valid protective order against the perpetrator.[2.1]
If the eviction notice is based on nonpayment of rent, it must also tell the tenant about the right, if any, to avoid the eviction by paying the overdue rent and liquidated damages. That payment procedure is set out in RSA 540:9.[2.2]
| Rent Grace Period | Not Mentioned |
| Notice for Nonpayment of Rent | 7 days |
| Notice for RSA 540:2, II(a), (b), or (d) Grounds | 7 days |
| Default Notice (all other reasons) | 30 days |
| Notice for Lease Non-Renewal (where applicable) | 60-day notice |
| State Laws | New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Chapter 540 |
New Hampshire recognizes several types of eviction notice, and the correct one depends on why the landlord wants to end the tenancy. Serving the wrong notice type or the wrong notice period is a common reason a court dismisses an eviction case, so landlords should match the notice to the actual ground for eviction.
Nonpayment of Rent Notice
Landlords can issue this notice when a tenant fails to pay rent on time. Under RSA 540:3, residential tenants generally get seven days' notice to pay the overdue rent before facing eviction.[2.2] The notice must also tell the tenant about the right, if any, to avoid the eviction by paying the arrears and liquidated damages.[2.2]
For example, suppose a tenant named Anna Baker falls three weeks behind on rent. The notice her landlord serves must tell her she can avoid the eviction by paying the overdue rent and any liquidated damages before the notice period ends.
A landlord's demand for rent may be made when the rent is due or while it is in arrears, but the demand may not ask for more than the whole amount of rent owed at that time.[2.4]
A tenancy cannot be ended over unpaid rent when all of the following are true:
Lease Violation Notice
A lease violation notice applies when a tenant breaches a lease term other than paying rent. New Hampshire law requires the notice to state with specificity the nature of the violation.[2.2] Most lease violations require 30 days' notice, but a seven-day notice applies instead when the violation is one of the specific grounds listed in RSA 540:2, II(a), (b), or (d).[2.1]
End of Tenancy Notice
Landlords use an end-of-tenancy notice to end a tenancy at will or to decline to renew a lease. A tenancy at will generally requires 30 days' written notice.[2.2]
Where the statute's limits on ending a tenancy apply, ending a lease at the end of its term instead requires written notice at least 60 days before the lease term ends.[2.1] The notice must state that the lease will not be renewed and that the tenant must vacate at the end of the term.[2.1] The landlord must also file the possessory action within 6 months of the lease expiring.[2.1] A no-fault termination like this does not count as an eviction on a rental application or a tenant screening report.[2.1]
Other Good Cause Notice
The statute also allows eviction for other good cause. Sometimes the ground for eviction is based on the actions or inactions of the tenant, a household member, or a guest. In that case, the landlord must give the tenant written notice of the problem before issuing the eviction notice itself.[2.1]
A tenant's refusal to accept a rent increase can also count as good cause for eviction. That only applies if the landlord gave the tenant written notice of the amount and effective date of the increase at least 30 days before it takes effect.[2.1]
For example, suppose a landlord wants to raise tenant Ben Carter's rent and Ben will not agree to the new amount. The landlord can treat that refusal as good cause only after giving Ben written notice of the new amount and its effective date, at least a month ahead of time.
Landlords should keep a dated copy of any rent-increase notice and proof it was delivered. Without that record, it is harder to show the 30-day requirement was met if the case goes to court.
The eviction process in New Hampshire begins once the landlord serves a proper eviction notice that meets the requirements in RSA 540:2 and 540:3. If the tenant does not pay, cure the violation, or move out within the notice period, the landlord may then file an eviction case in court. From there the case moves through several more stages before it is resolved.
No self-help evictions. New Hampshire law prohibits a landlord from willfully seizing, holding, or otherwise directly or indirectly denying a tenant access to and possession of the rented premises, other than through the proper judicial process.[1]
Tenants may respond to the eviction case and raise any defense at the court hearing. In practice, a sheriff or other authorized court officer then carries out the removal under the court's order if the tenant still has not left.
A landlord may evict a tenant in New Hampshire for nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or other good cause recognized by statute, including a lease that has ended or a rent increase the tenant will not accept. State law requires the reason to be stated with specificity, and the waiting period before filing in court is seven days for nonpayment of rent or certain serious grounds, and 30 days otherwise.[2.2]
A 30 day notice to vacate is the written document New Hampshire requires for most residential terminations that are not based on nonpayment of rent. State law sets this period at 30 days in all cases, except that seven days is enough when the termination is based on one of the specific grounds under RSA 540:2, II(a), (b), or (d).[2.2]
Other Eviction Notice Forms by State
General information, not legal or tax advice.