Nashua, NH Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Code Enforcement Department
- Inspection trigger
- Complaints, exterior cause, target areas
- Entry refused
- City may seek court order
- Mandatory rental license
- None found in code
Summary
Nashua's Code Enforcement Department inspects rental dwellings mainly through citizen complaints, exterior inspections showing cause, and Community Development Division target areas, not a routine unit-by-unit inspection requirement, under City Housing Code § 182-21.
Housing Code Inspectors shall direct their attention primarily to dwellings based on: (1) Citizen complaints; (2) Exterior inspections, where they have reasonable cause to believe there are housing code violations present; (3) Target areas of the City given priority by the Community Development Division. ... As circumstances allow, there may be systematic inspections of all other buildings.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4805762; v29 updated 2026-02-10; through 02-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
The City Housing Code lets the Code Official enter any structure or premises at any reasonable time to inspect for compliance, applying for a court warrant if entry is refused (§ 182-13). Under § 182-21, Housing Code Inspectors focus their attention on dwellings flagged by citizen complaints, exterior inspections showing reasonable cause of a violation, and target areas the Community Development Division prioritizes: systematic inspections of every other building happen only 'as circumstances allow,' not on a fixed schedule. There is no citywide mandatory rental-licensing or pre-occupancy inspection requirement in the code.
Violations & Fines
Refusing entry lets the City seek a court order compelling access (§ 182-13B); confirmed violations bring written notices, warnings, or citations under §§ 182-23 and 182-24, with unresolved cases heard by the Board of Housing Appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nashua require rental units to pass inspection before occupancy?
Can the City inspector enter a rental unit without permission?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashua
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Inspection Programs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle inspection programs.