The Senate has all but killed a measure that would have given landlords greater flexibility to evict tenants.
Bill opponents say the move preserves some equity between tenants and the property owners.
Originally the legislation would have allowed large-scale landlords the ability to evict a tenant when a lease expires.
Owners already can remove a tenant for any number of reasons, including rent hikes or personal business needs.
New Hampshire Legal Assistance attorney Elliott Berry says tenants are entitled to not be arbitrarily evicted.
“Eviction often means not only the loss of your particular apartment, but often you have to change your kids school district, sometimes you have to leave town. The ramifications are really, really significant.”
Supporters of the bill say when a contract ends, tenants should have no presumptive right to continue renting the apartment.
Most on-site landlords or owners renting a home do have the ability to evict the renter at the end of the lease.