Locked Out or Shut Off
RSA 540-A:3 — no lockouts, no utility shutoffs and no entry without consent
No landlord may willfully violate a tenant's right to quiet enjoyment, or try to get around the lawful eviction process.
Who handles this in New Hampshire: 603 Legal Aid and 211 NH; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the New Hampshire directory.
- No willful interruption or termination of utilities, water, heat, light, electricity, gas and the rest, except temporarily during actual repairs or an emergency.
- No denying the tenant access to the rented premises, or to the tenant's property, except through proper judicial process.
- No entering the tenant's premises without prior consent, except to make emergency repairs.
A tenant or a landlord may petition the court where the premises are. A violation brings the civil remedies of the consumer protection act, costs and reasonable attorney's fees, and each day a violation continues after a temporary order is a separate violation.
The tenant has duties too: not to willfully damage the landlord's property, and not to block necessary repairs or refuse access at a reasonable time after adequate notice.
Sources for this section (3)
- RSA 540-A:2 — General Prohibition
- RSA 540-A:3 — Certain Specific Acts Prohibited
- RSA 540-A:4 — Remedies
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Hampshire attorney.