State lawmakers passed a bill on the last day of its 2025 session allowing landlords to terminate a tenancy at the end of the lease period with no “good cause” needed, which Republicans say is necessary to protect the sanctity of the contract.

House Bill 60 would apply to leases 12 months in length or longer, and would allow a landlord to stop renting to a tenant at the end of the lease period with no reason given as long as the landlord has given 60 days of notice.

The legislation does not allow discriminatory evictions and states that the current anti-retaliation laws are still in place.

But tenants’ rights advocates have criticized the legislation, which they say could still make it easier for landlords to discriminate against tenants without easy consequences, and which they argue will increase evictions and homelessness.

Republicans say allowing an easier means for landlords to end a lease means they will be more likely to take chances on tenants with poor credit scores or evictions on their record, knowing they can end the contract if it does not work out.

The final version of the bill exempts any “no cause” termination of tenancy from appearing as an eviction on the tenant’s record, addressing some concerns.

A longer version of this story first appeared in The New Hampshire Bulletin. It is being republished here under a Creative Commons license