Will I Get Evicted?
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How long before eviction in New Hampshire?

Tenant protection: Weak4 of 9 checked

Tenant protection rating, from nine protections in New Hampshire law. 5 not yet verified, and each counts as zero until it is. How the rating works.

Last verified 2026-09-28

From notice to removal

Each stage has its own timing. A landlord notice alone does not authorize removal.

  1. 01
    Notice

    7 calendar days

  2. 02
    Court stage

    Timing not verified

  3. 03
    Writ wait

    Timing not verified

  4. 04
    Removal

    Enforcement follows a court order

At a glance

Grace period before a late fee
Not verified
Late fee cap
Not verified
Pay-or-quit notice
7 calendar days
A lease cannot shorten this notice period. New Hampshire law voids any lease term that gives up a tenant's rights under this chapter. The law does not say a lease can lengthen the period either; it is silent on that. The 7-day notice is the same the first time a tenant pays late. It stays the same every time after that. The law sets no shorter or longer period for a first-time late payment. The law does not mention any city being allowed to set its own notice period.
Recorded court-stage timing
Not verified
Wait before the writ can be executed
Not verified
Can paying stop it before judgment?
Yes
Can paying stop it after judgment?
No
Lockouts without a court order banned?
Yes
A landlord also may not willfully cause the interruption or termination of any utility service to the tenant, such as water, heat, light, electricity or gas, except for a temporary interruption needed while repairs are being made or during a temporary emergency (RSA 540-A:3, I). A landlord may not hold or deny a tenant access to the tenant's own belongings other than by proper judicial process (RSA 540-A:3, III). A tenant can file a petition in the district court for relief from these violations, with no filing fee (RSA 540-A:4). When a landlord unlawfully locks out a tenant and has re-let the home, damages are at least $3,000 (RSA 540-A:4, IX(e)).
Record sealing available?
Not verified
Right to counsel
Not verified
Fastest lawful timeline
22 daysNot independently verified. Figure from the Eviction Research Network's state eviction timeframes dataset, as of 2026-07-13. We have not yet checked it against the statutes.
Not legal advice. This page reports what the state statute says as of the last-verified date. It does not describe how a particular court applies it, and it does not account for your lease, local ordinances, or the facts of your case. If you have received a notice or a court summons, contact a legal aid organization listed below.

Can I stop it by paying?

Before judgment: Yes. An eviction case for unpaid rent only, called a possessory action, is dismissed if the tenant pays the landlord before the court hearing. The tenant must pay all rent owed, other lawful charges in the lease, and the landlord's filing and service costs. The tenant must also pay a $15 liquidated-damages fee, a fixed extra charge set by law. The landlord must file a receipt of that payment with the court before the hearing. If the landlord does not file the receipt, the hearing still happens. The case is still dismissed if the tenant proves at the hearing that the payment was made. A tenant cannot use this rule to stop an eviction more than 3 times in any 12-month period.

After judgment: No. Once the court enters judgment for the landlord, the tenant has no legal right to undo it by paying the rent owed. The landlord and tenant can agree, after judgment, to a payment plan instead. If they do, the court will not issue a writ of possession (a court order that lets the sheriff remove the tenant). This depends on the payment plan being filed with the court and the tenant keeping to its schedule. The landlord does not have to agree to a payment plan, so the tenant cannot use this alone to stop the eviction. Separately, a court can delay the tenant's removal for a short time, but only if it decides that fairness requires it. During that delay, the tenant must keep paying rent every week. If the tenant misses a weekly payment, the delay ends immediately and the sheriff can remove the tenant. This delay only postpones the eviction; it does not cancel the judgment.

Behind on utilities in New Hampshire too? See New Hampshire's shutoff protection rules.

Where to get help

  • Free legal help
  • New Hampshire law does not provide a right to counsel in eviction cases.

Sources