New Hampshire legislation · 2026 Regular Session
New Hampshire HB1136: relative to accessory dwelling units.
Status: Failed, March 4, 2026
What the bill says
An act relative to accessory dwelling units. Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. B. Boyd, Hills. 12; Rep. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Terry, Belk. 7; Rep. Sirois, Hills. 32; Rep. Foote, Rock. 13; Rep. Nelson, Rock. 13 COMMITTEE: Housing ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANALYSIS This bill: I. Allows municipalities to authorize accessory dwelling units by matter of right, conditional use permit, or special exception. II. Permits municipalities to allow more than one ADU per single-family dwelling. III. Clarifies that if a zoning ordinance contains no ADU provisions, one ADU sh.
From the introduced text, January 7, 2026:
AN ACT relative to accessory dwelling units. Rep. Kuttab, Rock. 17; Rep. B. Boyd, Hills. 12; Rep. Perez, Rock. 16; Rep. Terry, Belk. 7; Rep. Sirois, Hills. 32; Rep. Foote, Rock. 13; Rep. Nelson, Rock. 13 COMMITTEE: Housing ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANALYSIS This bill: I. Allows municipalities to authorize accessory dwelling units by matter of right, conditional use permit, or special exception. II. Permits municipalities to allow more than one ADU per single-family dwelling. III. Clarifies that if a zoning ordinance contains no ADU provisions, one ADU shall be deemed a permitted accessory use without municipal conditions other than building permits, if required by municipal ordinance. IV. Expands ingress and egress standards to apply to all ADUs, not just attached units, and prohibits municipalities from limiting the choice of access method. V. Allows municipalities to enforce local septic pumping ordinances while maintaining the prohibition on requiring separate systems for principal and accessory units. VI. Affirms municipal authority to require owner occupancy of one unit, without specifying which unit, and to establish reasonable enforcement regulations. VII. Distinguishes between attached and detached ADUs for purposes of aesthetic regulation and size limits; attached ADUs may be regulated for aesthetic continuity with the principal dwelling; detached ADUs may be subject to aesthetic standards only if such standards apply to the principal dwelling; and municipalities may set …