Rental Housing

Rental Housing Regulations

Property owners in Hanover are permitted to rent a housing unit such as a house, condo, or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), as well as individual rooms in their residence to tenants, subject to requirements and restrictions set out in the 2024 Zoning Ordinance and the 2023 Rental Housing Ordinance. These include:

• Rental Registration and Inspection: All residential rentals must be registered with the Town. They are subject to an initial inspection upon registration, and every three years thereafter to ensure that the unit is “safe, sanitary, and fit for human habitation”. Units that are registered and pass the inspection are issued a Certificate of Compliance (COC). Failure to register and/or obtain such a Certificate can lead to substantial fines and penalties.
• Limitation on Tenants: Non-owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings, and units in unsprinklered multi-family buildings may be rented out as a residence to a family or no more than 3 unrelated persons. Fully sprinklered multi-family units may be rented as a residence to no more than one person per 200 square feet of gross floor area. No tenant shall be permitted to rent any space in a unit to additional roomers. Owners of owner-occupied dwelling units may rent rooms without cooking facilities to up to three unrelated persons.
• Time Limitations: The Town limits the use of residential property for short-term rentals, which is defined as tenancies of less than 30 days at a time. The owner of a dwelling unit that is his/her primary residence may rent rooms, or the entire unit on a short-term basis as a “hosted” rental (meaning the owner continues to live at the property during the rental) for up to 90 days per calendar year, 30 days of which may be an “unhosted’ rental where the owner is not on the property. The restriction of the rental to a family or to no more than 3 unrelated persons applies. ADUs may not be used for short-term rentals.
• Requirements for Landlords: Landlords or their agents must display a copy of the COC in the Unit, along with the following information: 1. The name, mailing address, and telephone number of the Responsible Party, who must be available to be reached twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week. 2. Solid waste and recycling protocol. 3. The telephone number to call to register complaints regarding the physical condition of the dwelling unit, and 4. The maximum occupancy limit of the unit. They are also responsible for insuring that the unit stays in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and does not become a “public nuisance” as defined in the Rental Ordinance.

For more details and additional provisions, please view the full text of the Rental Ordinance here.

as well as Section 519 of the Zoning Ordinance addressing Rentals here.

RENTAL REGISTRATION APPLICATION is here.

Questions should be directed to Bruce Simpson in the Planning, Zoning & Codes Department at Bruce.Simpson@hanovernh.org or 603-640-3213.

Related Links:

Link to Rental Property Complaint form

Link to the Rental Housing Inspector job advertisement