Manchester, NH Special Events & Permits: Outdoor Heater Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Unvented heaters in occupied spaces
- Prohibited outright, no permit available
- Unoccupied structure permit fee
- $2 per permit
- Permitting authority
- Chief of the Fire Department or designee
- Exempt heater types
- Flameless catalyst; inoperative antiques
- Salamander heaters
- Allowed only under NFPA 31, Ch. 4-4.7
- Ordinance date
- Passed 4-5-83, amended 2-7-95
Summary
Manchester bans unvented space heaters, including portable propane and kerosene units, in any occupied structure or tent citywide. They're allowed only in unoccupied structures with a $2 Fire Department permit, and salamander-type heaters get a narrower exception tied to NFPA 31 standards.
UNVENTED SPACE HEATERS. Any heating appliance, either wick, wickless, or pot burner type, which uses oil, gas, or kerosene for fuel, is either stationary or portable, and the products of combustion of which are not directly conducted to the outside of the building via chimney connect or pipe. (C) Use. (1) No unvented space heater shall be installed or used in an occupied structure. (2) Unvented space heaters may be installed and used in an unoccupied structure only by permit. (D) Permit required; fee. No unvented space heater shall be sold, distributed, or used in the city without first obtaining a permit therefore from the Chief of the Fire Department or his designee. The fee for each permit to use an unvented space heater in an unoccupied structure shall be $2. ... (3) The salamander-type heaters, provided that they are used solely in accordance with the standards contained in Chapter 4-4.7 of the National Fire Protection Association, Number 31.
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
10 defines UNVENTED SPACE HEATERS as any wick, wickless, or pot-burner appliance using oil, gas, or kerosene whose combustion products aren't vented outside via chimney or pipe, and OCCUPIED STRUCTURE broadly, covering any structure, vehicle, boat, or place adapted for overnight accommodation or business use, whether or not someone is actually present, including seasonal dwellings whether vacant or occupied. 10(D). This matters directly for seasonal outdoor heating at events: propane patio and tent heaters that don't vent combustion gases outside fall within the unvented definition and can't be run inside any occupied tent or structure without that permit.
7 of NFPA 31, including for temporary use in an unoccupied structure. The rule traces to an ordinance passed April 5, 1983 and amended February 7, 1995, reflecting a longstanding citywide fire-safety concern with carbon monoxide and open-flame risk from unvented heating in enclosed or tented spaces.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 92.10 carries the fire-chapter's general penalty under § 92.99, which defaults to § 10.99: a fine up to the maximum allowed by R.S.A. 47:17, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense. Using an unvented heater in an occupied tent or structure without qualifying for an exception, or without the required unoccupied-structure permit, exposes the operator to that penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a propane patio heater at an outdoor event tent in Manchester?
Is there any way to legally use an unvented heater at a seasonal event?
What heaters are exempt from Manchester's unvented heater ban?
What's the penalty for violating the unvented heater rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manchester
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