Bills affecting Renter in New Jersey — 2026 session

Requires landlord to provide written explanation for rent increase on tenant of senior citizen housing project.

"Tenants Anti-Retaliation & Anti-Harassment Act"; establishes rebuttable presumption for complaints by tenant of illegal activity by landlord.

Criminalizes owner or landlord knowingly renting dwelling to tenant that is illegal occupancy which causes serious bodily injury to or death of another person.

"Immigrant Tenant Protection Act"; provides certain protections to residential tenants and codifies certain warranty of habitability protections.

Establishes standards for determining an unconscionable rent increase; excludes from public access landlord tenant records in certain circumstances.

Establishes the "Safe Sanitary Subsidized Rental Housing Bill of Rights."

Establishes confidentiality of landlord-tenant court records; addresses adverse actions on rental applications.

Establishes Rent Control Enforcement Unit in DCA; authorizes residential tenant to petition for review of alleged violation of local rent restriction.

Permits tenant to make rent payment into escrow account in event of persisting serious hazard in dwelling unit or to make repairs and deduct cost from future rent.

Prohibits landlord from considering certain actions in tenant screening; clarifies that rent receivership action does not require rent deposit and may be based on implied warranty of habitability.

Restricts landlord from imposing charge on applicant or tenant for keeping pets in residential rental units.

Requires development and promulgation of tenant legal resources notice for tenants of certain multiple dwellings.

Concerns prohibition of certain residential tenant evictions and removals due to residential foreclosure during federal government shutdown.

Concerns exemptions to municipal rent control and rent leveling ordinances.

Establishes confidentiality of court records of landlord-tenant disputes after five years.

Clarifies and expands landlord registration procedures; creates certain rights for tenants; makes certain changes concerning tenant notifications, inspections, and maintenance in multiple dwellings; permits percentage of affordable housing obligation to be satisfied by certain rehabilitation projects.

Establishes standards for expiration of rental housing affordability controls.

Increases penalty for landlord in violation of "The Truth-in-Renting Act" from $100 to $1,000; permits tenant to recover reasonable attorney's fees.

Establishes "Security Deposit Assistance Pilot Program" in Passaic, Union, Essex, Hudson, Gloucester, Atlantic, Camden, and Mercer counties; appropriates $400,000.

Expands liability of certain individuals associated with limited liability companies and other commercial entities, when acting as residential landlord.