Bill
HB 65
The bill requires landlords to offer tenants the option to report timely rent payments to consumer credit agencies, giving tenants a choice to build credit.
HB 65 (New Hampshire) – Summary
Overview
- Bill type: House proposal directing landlords to offer tenants the option of reporting rental payments to consumer reporting agencies.
- Session: 2026
- Jurisdiction: New Hampshire
- Primary aim: Create a mechanism for tenants to have their timely rental payments reported to consumer credit reporting agencies (CRAs), by requiring landlords to offer this reporting option.
Purpose and Intent
- To improve tenants’ credit profiles by recording on-time rental payments with credit bureaus, potentially enhancing access to credit and housing opportunities for renters.
- To provide a formal process for tenants who wish to utilize rental-payment reporting as a tool to build or improve credit history.
- To ensure tenants are informed and given a choice about whether their rent payments are reported to CRAs.
Key Provisions (as inferred from title and typical legislative structure)
- Obligation on landlords: Landlords must offer tenants the option to report rent payments to consumer reporting agencies.
- Tenant choice: Reporting is not mandatory; tenants must opt in or consent to have rent payments reported. The bill would describe how a tenant can elect to participate.
- Scope of reporting: Likely limited to timely rent payments; the bill would specify the types of rent payments covered (e.g., monthly rent) and the reporting agencies involved (one or more consumer reporting agencies).
- Data accuracy and dispute rights: Provisions typically include mechanisms to ensure accurate reporting and to allow tenants to dispute errors with the CRA and the landlord.
- Privacy and consent: Provisions to protect tenant privacy, require written consent, and outline permissible uses of reported information.
- Termination or opt-out: Procedures for tenants to opt out of reporting or for reporting to cease if tenancy ends or if consent is withdrawn.
- Fees and costs: Whether landlords may charge any fees for reporting services or if reporting is voluntary for landlords, with potential guidance on reasonable costs.
Who would be affected
- Tenants: Renters would have the option to participate in rental-payment reporting, enabling potential credit-building benefits if they timely pay rent.
- Landlords: Landlords would be required to offer the option and manage the reporting process in compliance with consent and data accuracy rules.
- Credit reporting agencies: CRAs would receive rental-payment data for tenants who opt in, expanding rental-payment history in consumer credit files.
- Housing stakeholders: Could impact tenant access to credit, rental markets, and landlord-tenant dynamics, particularly for tenants with limited traditional credit histories.
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Introduced: Early January 2025 (referred to Housing Committee) with the bill entering the legislative process.
- Committee status: Retained in Committee as of January 2025; public hearing was held January 21, 2025.
- Interim study path: The bill has moved toward an interim study path, with a Committee Report and a subsequent referral for interim study in November 2025 and January 2026 activity.
- Action history indicates ongoing review, consideration, and potential amendments before any final floor vote.
Notes and considerations
- The bill’s success depends on clarity of consent mechanics, data-privacy protections, and alignment with federal and state consumer protection laws.
- Implementation would require landlord education, standardized processes for opt-in, and coordination with CRAs and tenants’ records.
This summary reflects the bill’s stated purpose and likely provisions based on the title and available action history. For precise statutory language, specific thresholds, penalties, and operational details, the committee’s bill text and subsequent amendments should be consulted.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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