Senate Commerce committee advances amended bill limiting end‑of‑lease evictions to 12‑month leases and only when vacancy rate rises

The Senate Committee on Commerce advanced an amended version of House Bill 60 on a voice vote after extended public testimony and committee debate. The amendment replaces the bill’s original text to limit end‑of‑lease evictions to leases of 12 months or longer, require landlords to file eviction actions within six months after the lease expires, and make the policy effective only when the Federal Reserve reports New Hampshire’s rental vacancy rate at 5 percent or higher.

Supporters of the amendment said it balances contractual rights and housing stability. Senator Ricciardi, who moved the replacement amendment, said it “changes the minimum lease term to 12 months or longer” and adds a six‑month filing deadline so a long‑term tenant is not evicted years after originally signing a lease. Senator Murphy described the amendment as “a good compromise and a good intermediate step,” saying the 5 percent trigger would preserve tenant stability while restoring contractual clarity for landlords.

The amendment was adopted by the committee; the committee then passed HB 60 as amended. Committee deliberations also produced a technical committee amendment that replaced references to the U.S. Census vacancy measure with the Federal Reserve vacancy series as the trigger source for the…