Manchester, NH Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Certificate term
- 3 years, renew 30 days before expiry
- Application fee
- $25 per dwelling or rooming unit
- Inspection fee
- $50 per dwelling unit
- Small-building exemption
- 4 units or fewer, owner-occupied since 1986
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Planning & Community Development
Summary
Manchester requires a certificate of compliance for every rental dwelling unit, rooming house, or condominium, issued only after a Housing Code inspection confirms the unit is up to code.
It shall be unlawful for anyone to operate a rooming house or to rent, offer for rent, or allow any person to occupy any dwelling, dwelling unit, or condominium unit without a certificate of compliance, interim rental permit, or transfer permit unless the building is exempt pursuant to this subchapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: current through Ord. passed 6-3-2025).
Full Breakdown
Under the Housing Code (City Code Ch. 150, Certificates of Compliance subchapter), the Department of Planning and Community Development inspects each rental dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, and condominium before issuing a certificate of compliance, good for three years and renewable 30 days before expiration. An interim rental permit covers a unit while its application is pending. Application runs $25 per unit, inspection $50 per dwelling unit ($25 per room for rooming units), with reinspection fees starting at $50 and rising $20 each time after the second. Buildings of four units or fewer are exempt if one unit has been the owner's principal residence continuously since September 2, 1986.
Violations & Fines
Renting, offering to rent, or occupying a unit without a certificate of compliance, interim rental permit, or transfer permit is unlawful under § 150.100. Citations follow § 38.06(B): $50 first offense, $100 second, up to $200 (doubling to $400 if unpaid) after that, each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Manchester landlord need a rental certificate?
How often does the city inspect rental units?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manchester
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Inspection Programs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle inspection programs.