N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-B: § 540-B:1
Definition; Shared Facility.
Operative Text
I. A "shared facility" means real property rented for residential purposes which has separate sleeping areas for each occupant and in which each occupant has access to and shares with the owner of the facility one or more significant portions of the facility in common, such as kitchen, dining area, bathroom, or bathing area, for which the occupant has no rented right of sole personal use. II. A shared facility shall not include: (a) Facilities rented to transient guests intended for use of less than 90 days. (b) Rooms in hotels, motels, inns, tourist homes, and other dwellings rented for recreational or vacationing use. (c) Rooms provided ancillary to other primary purposes such as jails, student dormitories, nursing homes, hospitals, group homes, and emergency shelters.
New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 540-B:1 defines a 'shared facility' as a residential rental property where each occupant has a private sleeping area but shares significant spaces—such as a kitchen, bathroom, or dining area—with the property owner, without any exclusive rental right to those shared spaces. The definition deliberately excludes short-term transient rentals of fewer than 90 days, hotel and vacation-style rooms, and rooms provided as part of institutional settings like dormitories, nursing homes, or jails. This definitional provision sets the scope for the rest of Chapter 540-B, determining which living arrangements fall under its specific rules.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 540-B:1, property owners who live in their home and rent out rooms while sharing common areas like kitchens or bathrooms with occupants are operating a 'shared facility' subject to Chapter 540-B's framework. Compliant operators generally take care to understand whether their rental arrangement meets this definition—particularly the requirement that the owner shares the space—since the classification affects which statutory rules govern the tenancy. Arrangements that are purely transient, vacation-based, or institutional in nature fall outside this definition and are governed by different legal frameworks.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you rent a room in a home where you share a kitchen, bathroom, or similar space with the property owner, § 540-B:1 likely classifies that arrangement as a 'shared facility,' which means Chapter 540-B's specific rules apply to your tenancy rather than the general landlord-tenant statutes. Understanding whether your living situation meets this definition is an important first step, since it determines what rights and procedures are available to you under New Hampshire law. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with New Hampshire housing law can help clarify how this definition applies to a given living arrangement.
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.
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