Bylaw-driven

New Hampshire HOA reserve study requirements (2026)

Annual reserve budget disclosure required; no mandated study cycle.

Governing statute

New Hampshire Condominium Act, RSA 356-B:40-c — Adoption of Budgets and Special Assessments (reserve disclosure required)

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Quick facts

Governing statute

RSA 356-B (Condominium Act)

Annual reserve disclosure

RSA 356-B:40-c — reserve allocations and basis of calculation in the annual budget summary

Public offering statement

RSA 356-B:52 — discloses whether the budget provides for capital expenditures or reserves

Resale disclosure

RSA 356-B:58 — status and amount of any reserve fund, to a resale buyer, within 10 days of written request

Mandated study cycle

None; bylaw or lender driven

HOA coverage

RSA 356-B applies to condominiums; other HOAs governed by bylaws

Owner waiver

Not applicable — no reserve study mandate

Lender requirements

FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

What the law actually requires

New Hampshire's Condominium Act (RSA 356-B) is the primary statute governing condominium associations. Under RSA 356-B:40-c, the board must annually adopt a proposed budget and provide all unit owners a summary that includes reserve allocations and a statement of the basis on which reserves are calculated and funded. This disclosure obligation is mandatory — the board cannot simply omit the reserve line without explaining why.

RSA 356-B:40-c does not, however, require a formal reserve study or mandate a minimum funding level. The statute's focus is transparency: owners must be informed how reserves are determined, not that a specific methodology was used. A developer's public offering statement to an initial purchaser must separately state whether provisions have been made in the budget for capital expenditures or major maintenance reserves (RSA 356-B:52). And when a unit is resold by someone other than the declarant, the association must, on the prospective purchaser's written request, disclose the status and amount of any reserve for major maintenance or replacement within 10 days (RSA 356-B:58).

Non-condominium HOAs in New Hampshire (planned communities, subdivisions with private roads or amenities) are not subject to RSA 356-B. Their reserve obligations come entirely from governing documents and lender requirements. In both cases, the National Reserve Study Standards and FHA/Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac underwriting expectations are the practical floor for reserve planning.

Because no state body enforces reserve funding levels, the most consequential pressure on New Hampshire boards is lender-driven: without a current NRSS-compliant study, units in under-funded buildings can be denied FHA and conforming financing, effectively reducing buyer demand and unit values across the community.

Is your New Hampshire community's reserve fund on track? Get a free 60-second reserve health check — see your percent funded, reserves per door, and special-assessment risk. No reserve study required.

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How ReserveDeck handles New Hampshire

ReserveDeck applies its Generic NRSS format to New Hampshire properties: a National Reserve Study Standards report with the percent-funded metric, a 30-year cash-flow projection, and the three funding plans (Recommended, Threshold, Baseline). There is no New Hampshire-specific disclosure page.

Built-in New Hampshire compliance.

Select RSA 356-B:40-c (Condominium Act) from the Compliance Jurisdiction dropdown and ReserveDeck's PDF builder produces the right disclosure format automatically. Engine math is identical across jurisdictions — only the deliverable changes.

See pricing → See a sample report → Request a New Hampshire demo

Frequently asked questions — New Hampshire

Does New Hampshire require condo associations to conduct a reserve study?

No formal reserve study is mandated. RSA 356-B:40-c requires the board to include reserve allocations and the basis of calculation in the annual budget summary sent to owners, but does not require a third-party study or specify a funding methodology. Most associations commission an NRSS study every 3-5 years to support the required disclosure and satisfy lender requirements.

What is the RSA 356-B:40-c budget disclosure requirement?

Each year, the board must provide all unit owners a budget summary that includes any reserve allocations and a statement explaining how those reserve figures were calculated and funded. Owners then have the right to ratify or reject the budget at a meeting; rejection requires two-thirds of all unit owners unless the declaration specifies a higher threshold.

What must a New Hampshire association disclose when a unit is resold?

Under RSA 356-B:58, when a unit is resold by someone other than the declarant, the association must, on the prospective purchaser's written request, disclose the status and amount of any reserve for major maintenance or replacement within 10 days. This is separate from the developer's public offering statement under RSA 356-B:52, which covers only the sale of a unit by the declarant.

Does RSA 356-B cover planned-community HOAs, not just condominiums?

RSA 356-B applies specifically to condominium associations. Planned communities and subdivision HOAs that are not condominiums are governed primarily by their own declarations and bylaws, not by RSA 356-B. Reserve planning for those associations is driven by governing documents and lender standards.

How often should a New Hampshire condo association update its reserve study?

Every 3-5 years is the NRSS recommendation and the practical norm for FHA and Fannie Mae project eligibility. Annual desktop reviews of reserve assumptions are a best practice between full studies, and they support the annual RSA 356-B:40-c disclosure requirement.