In New Hampshire, you may sell a renter's contents only if an amount is still unpaid after 30 days, so day 31 is the earliest sale date. Before that you send a notice no sooner than 5 days after default, then a notice of sale no sooner than 14 days after default giving at least 14 days to pay.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
New Hampshire lien timeline at a glance
New Hampshire's rules are in RSA 451-C, the Self-Service Storage Facility Liens chapter, enacted in 2019 (effective October 10, 2019). We found no later amendments in our notes. The chapter calls the tenant the "renter." You have a lien on all personal property in the space for rent, fees, labor, other charges and sale expenses (RSA 451-C:4).
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Default | Day 0 | Renter fails to perform any duty in the chapter or rental agreement. | RSA 451-C:1, II; 451-C:4, I |
| 2. Deny access | Day 5 | At 5 days or more in default, deny access in a reasonable, peaceable way until paid. Immediate denial if residential or unlawful use is suspected. | RSA 451-C:6 |
| 3. Late fee | Day 6 | No fee if paid in full by the fifth day after the due date. | RSA 451-C:7 |
| 4. First notice | No sooner than day 5 | First-class mail or email to the renter and all lienholders named in the rental agreement. | RSA 451-C:8, I |
| 5. Notice of sale | No sooner than day 14 | In person, by email or by verified mail. Demand payment within at least 14 days after delivery. | RSA 451-C:8, II, III |
| 6. Sale | Day 31 | Only if an amount remains unpaid after 30 days and the notices are done. Public or private. | RSA 451-C:11, I |
Worked example: rent was due April 1 and never paid. Day 5 is April 6, when you may lock the unit and send the first notice. Day 14 is April 15, when you deliver the notice of sale. The 14 day demand would end April 29 (day 28), but the 30 day rule holds the sale until May 2 (day 31). All dates are derived. The statute does not say whether the 14 day demand may run alongside the 30 days, though that is a reasonable reading.
What the New Hampshire lien notice must say and how to send it
The notice of sale must say the contents are subject to your lien, describe them generally, list the charges due and any added charges with their dates, demand payment within a stated time not less than 14 days after delivery, state that the contents will be sold at public or private sale at a stated date, time and place, and give your name, street address and phone number (RSA 451-C:8, II, III).
Deliver in person, by email, or by verified mail (RSA 21:53) to the last known address. The first 5 day notice may go by first-class mail or email. If you offer email-only notice, the rental agreement must state in bold that the renter may agree to email only, and the renter's assent must be marked in the agreement. Email is treated as delivered when properly addressed and sent. Mail is treated as delivered when deposited with USPS or another carrier, postage prepaid (RSA 451-C:1, V; 451-C:4, VI; 451-C:8, V).
Alternate contacts and lienholders
There is no alternate contact requirement. The rental agreement must let the renter disclose lienholders with an interest in the stored property, and the 5 day notice goes to the renter and all lienholders named there (RSA 451-C:4, V; 451-C:8, I). For vehicles, you must check the DMV and the Secretary of State for liens and send the notice of sale to lienholders by verified mail at least 14 days before the sale (RSA 451-C:10).
Advertising the sale
The chapter has no newspaper or other advertising requirement. The notice of sale to the renter must state the time and place. You may post the sale to attract bidders, but that is optional.
Late fee limits
A reasonable late fee per service period is allowed if the amount and conditions are in the rental agreement. None may be charged if the renter pays in full by the fifth day after the due date, so the first day for a fee is day 6. The greater of $20 or 20% of each rental payment is deemed reasonable and not a penalty. The fee is in addition to other remedies (RSA 451-C:7; 451-C:4, II(e), III).
Sale rules, surplus and records
- Format. Public or private, as a unit or in parcels. In person where the property is held, or online through a publicly accessible website. You may postpone an in-person public sale for bad weather with notice at least 5 days before the new date.
- Buyer protection. A good-faith purchaser takes free and clear, even if you did not comply.
- Low value goods. If there is no qualified buyer, or the property is worth under $500, you may dispose of it after 10 days written notice by email or first-class mail (RSA 451-C:12).
- Surplus. Apply proceeds to rent, charges, fees and expenses. Hold the rest 90 days from the sale for lienholders of record or the renter on demand. After 90 days, report it as unclaimed property under RSA 471-C:19. The renter owes any shortfall (RSA 451-C:13).
- Records. No retention period is stated. Keep proof of every notice and the sale results.
Vehicles and boats
"Motor vehicle" includes motorcycles, boats, watercraft, off-highway recreational vehicles and snowmobiles (RSA 451-C:1, VIII). If a motor vehicle or trailer has been unpaid at least 30 days, you may have it towed by an insured towing company, with no liability and without following RSA 451-C:10. Or you may sell it under RSA 451-C:8, 10 and 11 (RSA 451-C:9). A sale needs a written lien inquiry to the DMV and Secretary of State. Lienholders get verified-mail notice at least 14 days before the sale and may remove the vehicle within 14 days of delivery by paying all amounts due.
Active-duty military (SCRA)
Federal law adds protections for servicemembers, and owners must check military status before a sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958. We found no New Hampshire-specific military rule in RSA 451-C.
Common mistakes checklist
- Charging a late fee on day 5 or earlier.
- Selling on day 30 instead of day 31 or later.
- Sending the notice of sale before day 14.
- Giving fewer than 14 days to pay.
- Emailing a renter who never assented to email in the lease.
- Skipping the DMV and Secretary of State lien check on a vehicle.
- Not notifying the lienholders named in the lease.
- Selling a vehicle without the 14 day lienholder notice.
- Skipping the servicemember status check.
Tools to help
Use the lien timeline calculator to count your dates, read about lien and auction management, and see all state lien laws. The self storage auction process guide covers the sale, and the lien notice template gives you a starting draft.
What we could not confirm
The statute does not say whether the 5 day notice and the 14 day notice may go out on the earliest permitted day, or whether the 14 day demand may run during the 30 days. We read "after 30 days" as day 31, and day 6 for late fees is derived from "by the fifth day." Our notes show only the 2019 enactment, and we did not separately verify later amendments beyond the current General Court text. The under-$500 disposal route needs only the 10 day notice plus a vehicle lien check.
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney.