RR
Rent Regulations

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A: § 540-A:3-a

Testing for Presence of Lead in Drinking Water.

In Force
Verified 10/20/2026 · Next check 10/27/2026
effective 10/20/2026New HampshireLead-Based Paint

Operative Text

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A: § 540-A:3-a
Any time a child tests positive for lead which exceeds the standards established in RSA 130-A:5, I, the department of health and human services shall test the water in the unit for lead. If the presence of lead in the drinking water exceeds the action level established by the Environmental Protection Agency, the landlord shall notify the tenant or prospective tenant and shall install on the kitchen faucet a filtering device certified to reduce lead by NSF International/American National Standards Institute and follow all standards for the replacement of the filtering device and cartridges. The landlord shall not be required to maintain or install water filters where the source of the lead has been removed and the water tests below the action level established by the Environmental Protection Agency, as verified by the department of health and human services.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:3-a, when a child in a rental unit tests positive for elevated blood-lead levels beyond the thresholds set in RSA 130-A:5, I, the state Department of Health and Human Services is required to test the unit's drinking water for lead. If that water test reveals lead concentrations above the EPA's action level, the landlord must notify the tenant or prospective tenant and install a certified lead-reducing filter on the kitchen faucet, following all applicable standards for filter and cartridge replacement. The obligation to maintain or install filters ends once the source of lead contamination has been removed and water tests confirm levels fall below the EPA action level, as verified by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 20, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:3-a generally stay compliant by promptly notifying tenants or prospective tenants when state water testing reveals lead levels above the EPA action level, and by installing an NSF International/ANSI-certified lead-reducing filter on the kitchen faucet without delay. Compliant operators also keep records of filter and cartridge replacements in accordance with the manufacturer and regulatory standards referenced in the provision. The filter and maintenance obligation can be lifted once the underlying lead source has been eliminated and the Department of Health and Human Services has verified that water tests fall below the EPA action level.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:3-a, tenants have a right to be notified if drinking water in their unit tests above the EPA lead action level following a state-initiated test, and to have a certified lead-reducing filter installed on the kitchen faucet at the landlord's responsibility. If a child in the household has tested positive for elevated blood-lead levels and no notification or filter installation has occurred, tenants may consider contacting the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to understand the testing process and their rights under this provision. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid services can help tenants understand what remedies or complaint processes may be available if a landlord fails to meet the obligations described in § 540-A:3-a.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 20, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 20, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 130-A:5

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:6
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:6
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:6
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:7
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:4
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:1
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:7
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:3
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:4
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:1
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:2
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:3
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:4
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:6
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540-A:7

Related Rules

§ 127H
Repealed, 1992, 407, Sec. 9
§ 127M
Repealed, 1975, 615
§ 190
Program for the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning; lead poisoning control director; advisory committee

Source Information

Source:https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LV/540-A/540-A-3-a.htm
Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Oct 20, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC
Raw bytes:Download from R2 →