HB1371 Prohibiting application fees for residential rental agreements.
Prohibiting application fees for residential rental agreements.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Mixed
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Application fees of $25-75+ per application create a significant burden for renters, especially those applying to multiple units in a tight market.
Your Community
High application fees disproportionately hurt low-income renters and create barriers to housing in NH's already tight rental market.
Your Freedom
Would have expanded housing access but limited landlord discretion in setting fees.
Status
Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 02/19/2026 House Journal 5 P. 23
Sponsor
Janet Lucas (D)
The Short Version
Would have banned landlords from charging application fees to prospective renters. The bill was killed, leaving tenants to continue paying nonrefundable fees that can add up to hundreds of dollars when applying to multiple properties.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Renters seeking affordable housing
- ▲ Low-income families
- ▲ Young adults entering the rental market
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Landlords who use application fees to cover screening costs or deter unserious applicants
Bill statuses as of May 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.