Repairs and Withholding Rent
RSA 540:13-d — no eviction for unpaid rent while the home substantially fails fitness standards
No eviction for unpaid rent may go forward on a residence in substantial violation of the state or local standards of fitness for health and safety, where the violation materially affects habitability, if the conditions the section sets are met, among them that the tenant did not cause it and that the landlord had notice.
Who handles this in New Hampshire: New Hampshire Legal Assistance; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the New Hampshire directory.
The landlord bears the reasonable costs of remediating a bed bug infestation, but may recover them if the tenant is responsible for it.
Sources for this section (2)
- RSA 540:13-d — Defenses to Violations of Fitness
- RSA 540:13-e — Infestation of Bed Bugs: Liability for Costs of Remediation
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.