Landlord laws
New Jersey landlord-tenant law
New Jersey Statutes, Titles 2A, 10 and 46 (official NJ Legislature statutes text file, updated Oct 22, 2026)
Last verified Oct 2026
General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the statute and consult a licensed attorney in your state before acting.
| Topic | Rule (plain English) | Statute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security deposit cap | Up to 1.5 times one month's rent. Any added deposit you collect in a year can't be more than 10% of the current deposit. Owner-occupied buildings with 2 or fewer rental units are exempt unless the tenant gives 30 days' written notice invoking the law. | N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2, 46:8-26 | Verified |
| Deposit return deadline | Within 30 days after the lease ends, return the deposit plus the tenant's interest, minus lawful charges, with an itemized list. Send it by personal delivery or registered or certified mail. The deadline is 5 business days after a fire, flood, condemnation or evacuation displacement. If a court finds you wrongly withheld money, you owe double plus costs. | N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 | Verified |
| Deposit holding and interest | The deposit stays the tenant's money, held in trust. Never mix it with your own funds. Put it in an interest-bearing account at a NJ bank (landlords with 10 or more units must use a qualifying money-market fund or a variable-rate account). Give written notice of the bank, account type, interest rate and amount within 30 days and at every annual interest payment. Pay or credit the interest to the tenant every year. If you don't comply, the tenant can apply the deposit plus 7% interest to rent. | N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 | Verified |
| Late fee cap and grace period | No general late-fee cap in statute. A 5-business-day grace period applies when rent is due on the 1st and the tenant is a senior receiving Social Security or a government pension, or receives SSDI, SSI or Work First NJ benefits. No late charge may cover that grace period. Outside that group, put the fee in the lease and keep it reasonable. Note: Reasonableness of other late fees is governed by case law and contract law, not statute. | N.J.S.A. 2A:42-6.1, 2A:42-6.3 | Verified |
| Landlord entry notice | Not specified in state statute. No statute sets a general notice period for landlord entry. We searched Title 46, Chapter 8 and the eviction statutes. State housing regulations (N.J.A.C.) may apply, so check them and set entry terms in the lease. Note: Entry rules come from state regulations and case law, not statute. | N.J.S.A. 46:8; 2A:18-61.1 et seq. | Not in statute |
| Rent increase notice | In buildings covered by the Anti-Eviction Act, a rent increase requires a valid notice to quit and a notice of increase. The increase can't be unconscionable and must follow any local rent-control ordinance. The statute sets no fixed number of days. Note: The required notice length is set by case law and local ordinances, not by a statute. | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(f) | Verified |
| Rent control status | No statewide rent control and no state preemption. The statutes recognize local rent-control and rent-leveling ordinances, so check your town. New multiple dwellings are exempt from local limits on rent increases for up to 30 years (or the length of the original mortgage, if shorter). Tenants must get written notice of that exemption before signing, and the lease must say so too. Note: Municipal power to adopt rent control rests on case law; the statute only governs exemptions. | N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2, 2A:42-84.3 | Verified |
| Eviction notice: nonpayment | No notice to quit is required before filing for nonpayment. Most rentals are covered by the Anti-Eviction Act (good cause required). It exempts owner-occupied buildings with 2 or fewer rental units, and transient or seasonal rentals. | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(a), 2A:18-61.2 | Verified |
| Eviction notice: lease violation | First give a written notice to cease. If the violation continues, give a written notice to quit at least one month before filing for substantial breaches of the lease or of written rules. Give 3 days' notice for disorderly conduct or damage to the premises. The notice must state the cause in detail and be served in person, at the home, or by certified mail. | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(b)–(e), 2A:18-61.2 | Verified |
| Required disclosures | Give the DCA "Truth in Renting" statement to each new tenant and post it (46:8-46). Before signing, give the flood-zone notice as a separate signed rider, and put the flood-insurance notice in the lease (46:8-50). Send the deposit bank notice within 30 days (46:8-19). For new buildings exempt from rent control, give the exemption notice (2A:42-84.3). For pre-1978 housing, give the federal lead-paint disclosure (40 CFR 745.113). | N.J.S.A. 46:8-46, 46:8-50, 46:8-19(c), 2A:42-84.3; 40 CFR 745.113 | Verified |
| Fair housing beyond federal law | New Jersey adds creed, ancestry, marital status, civil union and domestic partnership status, pregnancy or breastfeeding, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, military service, nationality, and source of lawful income. | N.J.S.A. 10:5-12(g) | Verified |
Last verified Oct 2026 · Sources are official state legislature sites. Federal rules also apply.
Tools for New Jersey landlords
Late fee calculator
Model grace periods and fees.
Open →Prorated rent calculator
Mid-month move-ins.
Open →Rent increase calculator
New rent and annual impact.
Open →General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the statute and consult a licensed attorney in your state before acting.