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Lawmakers debate eviction reforms and proposed criminal-history grounds amid warnings of housing instability
Summary
Two related bills — HB1598 (eviction procedure changes) and HB1499 (expanded grounds tied to past convictions) — drew competing testimony from landlords and tenant advocates. Sponsors said the bills streamline RSA 540 to fix delays; opponents, including legal-aid and mental-health groups, warned the proposals could accelerate evictions and disproportionately harm vulnerable households.
Representative Dylan Dumont, sponsor of HB1598, opened the housing package by arguing the state's eviction process can be slow and that amended notice and pleading requirements will restore efficiency and fairness: "Non-payment of rent or significant lease violations ... create real hardship," he said.
Landlord advocates and housing-provider representatives described the bill package as a negotiated compromise that restores clear timelines and reduces opportunities to delay hearings. Nick Norman, an advocate for housing providers, and David Klene, a small landlord, urged the committee to…
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