What are squatters’ rights in New Hampshire?
In New Hampshire, the adverse possession period is 20 years, because an action to recover real estate cannot be brought more than 20 years after the right to recover it first accrued. A person who is not a tenant, subtenant or implied tenant may not occupy residential real estate without the permission of the owner, landlord or their agent, and a landlord or an owner who does not rent the property out may petition the court over a violation, with a hearing to be held within 48 hours of service. If the court rules for the owner, it must order law enforcement to remove the unauthorized occupants immediately and award actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater. An occupant who claims to be a subtenant or implied tenant has the burden of proving it. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is RSA 508:2; RSA 540-A:3, 540-A:4.
| What | New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 20 years |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Through a court proceeding, after notice |
Source
RSA 508:2; RSA 540-A:3, 540-A:4
Read the statute in the New Hampshire Revised Statutes (General Court of New Hampshire): gencourt.state.nh.us.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
More New Hampshire rules
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- How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in New Hampshire?
- Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in New Hampshire?
- Can a tenant sublet in New Hampshire?
- Do contractors charge sales tax in New Hampshire?
- Every New Hampshire rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii