This bill introduces a new section to RSA 356-C, specifically prohibiting landlords or their agents from charging application fees for residential rental agreements. The legislation aims to protect tenants by ensuring that individuals can apply for rental agreements without incurring additional costs. However, it clarifies that this prohibition does not extend to commercial or nonresidential property applications.

Additionally, the bill outlines requirements for landlords regarding background and credit checks. Landlords must accept various forms of identification, including government-issued IDs, taxpayer identification numbers, or social security numbers, but they cannot mandate a social security number for the application process or deny applications based on the absence of a social security number. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.