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Rent Regulations

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540: § 540:30

Unauthorized Practice of Law; Exception; Certain Employees and Members of Limited Liability Companies, Corporations, or Partnerships.

In Force
Verified 10/20/2026 · Next check 10/27/2026
effective 10/20/2026New HampshireEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540: § 540:30
Notwithstanding RSA 311:7, a person of good character who is not approved to practice law in New Hampshire, but is a member or employee of a limited liability company, corporation, or partnership, which has 5 or fewer members, shall, with the proper written authorization from the organization, be authorized to represent the entity on matters in the circuit court of New Hampshire arising under this chapter; provided that each such appearance shall require a new written authorization.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:30, New Hampshire carves out a narrow exception to the general prohibition on non-lawyers representing others in court. Specifically, a non-attorney member or employee of a small limited liability company, corporation, or partnership — one with five or fewer members — may appear in circuit court on behalf of that entity in landlord-tenant matters governed by RSA Chapter 540, as long as the organization provides fresh written authorization for each court appearance. This exception does not extend to larger organizations or to matters outside the scope of Chapter 540.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 20, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners operating through a small LLC, corporation, or partnership (five or fewer members) should be aware that § 540:30 allows a non-attorney member or employee to represent the entity in New Hampshire circuit court proceedings under Chapter 540, such as eviction cases, without hiring legal counsel. Compliant operators typically ensure that a new, properly executed written authorization from the organization is prepared and available for each separate court appearance, since a single blanket authorization is not sufficient. Operators of larger entities, or those facing matters outside Chapter 540, generally cannot rely on this exception and would need to consider other representation options.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Tenants involved in circuit court proceedings under Chapter 540 should know that § 540:30 permits a non-lawyer to appear on behalf of a small landlord entity — but only under specific conditions, including a fresh written authorization for every appearance. If a non-attorney representative appears without proper authorization, or if the entity does not meet the size threshold, that appearance may not comply with the statute, which could be relevant to how the case proceeds. Tenants who have questions about whether a landlord's representative is properly authorized may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with New Hampshire housing law.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 20, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 20, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 311:7
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:14
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:4
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:5
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:13-d
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:13-a
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:1-b
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:3
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:11-b
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:13-a
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:5
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:1-a
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:20
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:13-a
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:1-a
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:5
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:14
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:9
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:3
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

Source:https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LV/540/540-30.htm
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