Does New Jersey have statewide rent control?
New Jersey has no State law that sets or controls rents; towns may pass rent control or rent leveling ordinances, which local boards enforce.
- Statewide rent control lawNone
- Who sets rent controlEach town, by ordinance
How do you check whether a New Jersey town has rent control?
DCA's Truth in Renting guide points tenants to the town's Rent Control Board or municipal clerk to find out if a unit is covered by a rent control or rent leveling ordinance.
A town's ordinance may not cover every rental unit, and DCA says to ask the municipal clerk whether an ordinance exists and applies to a unit.
Is new construction exempt from rent control in New Jersey?
Under the Newly Constructed Multiple Dwellings Law, newly constructed multiple dwellings are exempt from local rent control ordinances for a period of 30 years after construction is completed. The statute limits the exemption to the period of amortization of the initial mortgage loan or 30 years after completion of construction, whichever is less.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Buildings covered | Four or more dwelling units |
| Length | The initial mortgage's amortization or 30 years, whichever is less |
| No initial mortgage | 30 years |
| Construction complete | When the certificate of occupancy issues |
| Filing | With the construction official, 30 days before the certificate of occupancy |
| Tenant notice | Written, before each lease |
How much can a New Jersey landlord raise the rent without rent control?
Statewide, a rent increase must not be unconscionable, meaning so unreasonable it would shock the conscience of a fair and honest person, and it must comply with any town ordinance on rent increases.
Factors used to decide include the amount of the increase, the landlord's expenses and profitability, and how the existing and proposed rents compare with rents at similar rental properties.
Where there is no municipal rent control and a tenant does not pay an increase as unconscionable, the landlord may file an eviction action for nonpayment of the increase, and a judge decides.
A landlord cannot raise the rent in the middle of a lease term; the old lease must end, and the new lease carries the increased rent. Before a landlord can evict a tenant for not paying an increased rent, the landlord must first serve a valid notice to quit and notice of rent increase.
Do senior or disabled tenants get rent increase limits in New Jersey?
In a town with rent control, a rent increase for a tenant with protected tenancy status after a condominium or cooperative conversion may not exceed the increase the ordinance allows for rent-controlled units.
How do Jersey City, Camden and Paterson limit rent increases?
In Jersey City, the Office of Landlord/Tenant Relations administers and enforces the Rent Control Ordinance, Chapter 260 of the Municipal Code. For Jersey City properties subject to rent control, a rent increase may not exceed the percentage the city posts or 4%, whichever is less.
| Town | Who runs it | Published rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey City | Office of Landlord/Tenant Relations, Chapter 260 | The city's posted percentage or 4%, whichever is less |
| Camden | Rent Control Office, 1981 ordinance | Set by the Philadelphia-area Consumer Price Index |
| Paterson | Office of Rent Leveling, Chapter 381-4 | Annual registration form, no fee for the form |
- Paterson: new construction exemption requestIn writing, 30 days before the CO
Paterson says new construction must request exemption from its rent leveling chapter in writing 30 days before the certificate of occupancy is issued, or the property will not be exempt.