New Jersey Rent Control Explained: Rent Increases, Tenant Rights, Landlord Rights & South Jersey Assistance

New Jersey does not have one statewide percentage cap covering every residential rental. Municipal rent-control ordinances and housing-program rules may apply. A separate statewide law generally limits increases for covered manufactured-home lot rentals to 3.5% over a 12-month period, subject to statutory exceptions and approval procedures.

It is a reasonable question—and the answer explains why searching online can get confusing.

The useful question is: What rules apply to this rental, at this address, in this municipality?

This guide covers Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.

New Jersey's 3.5% manufactured-home lot-rent law

New Jersey enacted a statewide law addressing rent increases at manufactured-home parks. P.L. 2025, c. 85 was approved July 1, 2025, with its principal rent-control provisions becoming operative March 1, 2026.

The law concerns covered dwelling sites in manufactured-home parks where the site is leased to the homeowner, including qualifying modular or industrialized homes.

The general limit is 3.5% over a 12-month period.

This is not a blanket cap for ordinary apartment or house rentals, and it does not cap HOA dues.

Exceptions include establishing the initial rent for a qualifying new tenancy when no prior tenant remains in lawful possession.

Larger increases may be authorized through the applicable statutory petition process. The law preserves a role for municipal rent boards in specified circumstances.

Local-law interaction is more complicated than simply applying whichever percentage is lower. Qualifying fixed numerical local limits of 3.5% or less may remain applicable, while CPI-based or higher local limits may be preempted for covered sites.

Readers should confirm coverage, tenancy applicability, and the proper reviewing authority with the municipality, DCA, or a New Jersey landlord-tenant attorney.

Start with New Jersey's free Truth in Renting guide

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs publishes a free guide explaining residential tenant and landlord rights.

Keep it with your lease:

• Download Truth in Renting — English PDF
• Download Truth in Renting — Spanish PDF
• Visit New Jersey's landlord-tenant resource page

Covered landlords must provide the guide, although the Truth-in-Renting Act has exceptions, including qualifying small owner-occupied properties.

The guide is useful even when the distribution requirement does not apply. Later laws and current local requirements also matter.

How much rent can a landlord charge?

Starting rent and rent increases are different questions.

For an ordinary market-rate rental without an applicable restriction, starting rent is generally negotiated between the parties. A controlled rental may have a lawful base rent and restrictions on resetting it. Subsidized and income-restricted housing have program-specific rules.

For an existing tenancy, check the lease, local ordinance, notice requirements, and housing program.

DCA explains that ordinary increases occur at the beginning of a new lease term, with written notice. Month-to-month increases generally require at least 30 days' properly timed notice; the lease or local ordinance may require more.

A rent-increase Notice to Quit is part of ending the old tenancy and offering the new rent. It is not itself a court eviction order.

Even without municipal rent control, an increase can be challenged as unconscionable. Courts consider the increase, the landlord's expenses and profitability, comparable rents, bargaining positions, and whether the increase shocks the conscience. There is no universal percentage that automatically decides this question.

For example, increasing $1,800 to $1,980 is a 10% increase. That calculation alone does not establish whether it is lawful.

Before withholding a disputed increase, obtain legal advice. A challenge can lead to an eviction case and an obligation to pay the disputed amount if the landlord prevails.

Read DCA's Rent Increase Bulletin

Where does South Jersey have rent control?

The following directory comes from DCA's 2026 Rent Control Survey. It identifies local ordinances to investigate; it does not mean every rental in each listed municipality is covered.

Municipal amendments, property exemptions, and the particular tenancy can change the answer.

For covered manufactured-home lot rentals, the statewide law may supersede provisions summarized in the municipal survey. The survey alone does not establish which local rules remain enforceable.

This directory summarizes municipalities identified in DCA's survey. It is not a determination that any particular property is covered, or that a municipality absent from the table has no applicable regulation. Confirm current ordinances, amendments, exemptions, and coverage with the municipal clerk or rent board.

Download DCA's 2026 Rent Control Survey — Excel file

Gloucester Township is in Camden County. It should not be confused with Gloucester County or Washington Township in Gloucester County.

For the original Gloucester County question, both Washington Township and Mantua have rent-control chapters. Washington's ordinance includes a CPI calculation, specified additional charges, and board procedures. Mantua also has calculations and board procedures. Neither should be summarized as one percentage for every rental in the county.

Washington Township ordinance

Washington Township adopted ordinance O024-2026 on September 23, 2026, with mayoral approval that same day. Under its effective-date provision, the amendment takes effect October 13, 2026. It excludes mobile-home spaces, mobile-home parks, manufactured-home communities, and private residential leasehold communities from Chapter 184's municipal rent-control requirements. This exclusion concerns the township ordinance; separate protections under applicable state law may still apply. Confirm property-specific coverage with the municipal clerk or Rent Leveling Board.

Exclusion from Washington Township's municipal Chapter 184 does not, by itself, remove protections under the statewide manufactured-home lot-rent law for qualifying sites and tenancies.

View ordinance O024-2026 on the township's official ordinances page

Mantua ordinance

Why an advertised percentage may not tell the whole story

An ordinance can distinguish ordinary increases from approved hardship increases, capital-improvement surcharges, and specified cost pass-throughs. It may require registration, notices, calculations, or board approval.

Vacancy decontrol, where permitted, can change the starting rent after a tenant leaves. The conditions and rules for subsequent increases vary by municipality.

Qualifying newer multiple dwellings may have a temporary state-law exemption from local rent-increase controls. Statutory qualifications, filings, and tenant disclosures matter.

The exemption can run for the initial mortgage amortization period or 30 years, whichever is less. Without initial mortgage financing, the statute provides 30 years. A construction date alone does not establish a permanent exemption.

Newly Constructed Multiple Dwellings law

Atlantic City: rent control and public housing use different rules

Atlantic City's Chapter 41 regulates covered private rentals. Its ordinary increase uses the specified CPI, with notice and filing requirements. Other approved increases may apply.

The ordinance expressly exempts public housing, federally subsidized housing including Section 8, owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes, and other listed categories.

Those exempt properties may still have strong rent protections under their own housing programs.

Atlantic City landlord-tenant ordinance

The Atlantic City Housing Authority lists communities including:

• Altman Terrace
• Inlet Towers
• Charles P. Jeffries Tower
• Shore Park Hi Rise
• Stanley S. Holmes Village
• The Meadows

These are housing-authority or affordable communities to investigate—not a list of available apartments or a guarantee that every unit uses the same subsidy.

ACHA community directory

ACHA programs and application information

Ask the manager which program governs the particular unit, how your payment is calculated, whether applications are open, and what happens if your income changes.

Rent control, Section 8 and affordable housing: what's the difference?

These distinctions matter when comparing apartments advertised as “affordable.”

HUD voucher information

HUD public housing information

NJHMFA income limits, maximum rents and utility allowances

How Section 8 works

Applicants apply through an administering housing agency. Agencies have separate waiting lists, and applying does not guarantee a voucher.

Tenant payments usually start from 30% of adjusted monthly income, with utility allowances and other rules affecting the calculation.

At initial occupancy, including a move to another unit, if gross rent—rent to the owner plus the applicable allowance for tenant-paid utilities—exceeds the family's applicable payment standard, the housing authority must ensure that the family's share does not exceed 40% of monthly adjusted income.

The agency's payment standard is not a universal legal rent cap. Proposed rent must be reasonable compared with similar unassisted rentals, and the unit must meet inspection requirements.

The agency pays assistance to the landlord, while the tenant pays the approved tenant share.

NJ DCA Section 8 information

HUD landlord resources

Can a landlord advertise “no Section 8”?

New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination protects source of lawful income, including qualifying rental assistance.

Housing providers generally cannot reject an applicant because the applicant uses Section 8, SRAP, or another protected assistance source.

Screening must appropriately account for the subsidy. Applying a three-times-the-full-rent income requirement without crediting voucher payments can be discriminatory.

This protection does not eliminate the housing agency's rent approval or inspection requirements.

NJ Division on Civil Rights housing protections

Tenant rights and responsibilities

Safe housing and repairs

Landlords must maintain habitable housing and vital facilities.

Tenants should report problems promptly in writing, keep photographs and records, and allow a reasonable opportunity for repairs. Local health or code officials can help investigate serious conditions.

Tenants are responsible for damage caused by abnormal or malicious use. Ordinary wear and tear is different.

Repair-and-deduct, rent abatement, and withholding can be remedies in qualifying circumstances, but conditions and documentation matter. Obtain advice before using them.

DCA Habitability Bulletin

Privacy and entry

Ownership does not create unlimited access to an occupied home.

For covered multiple dwellings, inspection and maintenance access generally requires reasonable notice, normally one day, with immediate access for genuine safety or structural emergencies.

Showings and other entry issues require attention to the lease and applicable law.

DCA Right of Entry Bulletin

Security deposits

For tenancies covered by the Security Deposit Law, deposits generally cannot exceed 1½ months' rent.

Annual additional collections cannot exceed 10% of the existing deposit, and the overall limit still applies.

Landlords must follow deposit-account, notice, and interest requirements.

Remaining deposits and interest generally must be returned within 30 days after the tenancy ends, with itemized deductions. Special circumstances can have shorter deadlines.

A successful claim for money wrongfully withheld can result in double recovery under the statute. Coverage exceptions, including certain small owner-occupied properties, require checking.

New Jersey Security Deposit Law

Eviction and lease renewal

For rentals covered by the Anti-Eviction Act, landlords need a statutory good-cause ground to evict or refuse renewal. Lease expiration alone generally is insufficient.

Grounds can include nonpayment, qualifying lease violations, damage, and certain owner-occupancy or other statutory circumstances.

Exceptions include qualifying small owner-occupied properties and transient or seasonal arrangements.

Notice requirements depend on the ground and applicable housing program. Landlords must use the court process.

Changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities to force someone out is unlawful.

DCA Grounds for Eviction

NJ Courts landlord-tenant resources

Retaliation

Covered tenants have protection against retaliation for enforcing rights, making qualifying good-faith complaints, or participating in lawful tenant organizations.

New Jersey reprisal law

Tenants should pay lawful rent on time, follow enforceable lease terms, maintain the home responsibly, and document payments and communications.

Do not assume a security deposit can automatically substitute for the last month's rent.

Landlord rights and responsibilities

Landlords can collect lawful rent, enforce valid lease terms, seek compensation for qualifying damage, and pursue court remedies for valid grounds.

Local ordinances may also provide hardship or improvement relief through an application and approval process.

Good management starts before move-in:

• Use a clear lease.
• Confirm registration and inspection requirements.
• Document the property's condition.
• Handle deposits correctly.
• Identify the applicable rent rules before calculating an increase.
• Apply lawful screening standards consistently.

Covered providers must follow the Fair Chance in Housing Act. Criminal-history screening generally is restricted until after a conditional housing offer, with further limitations and exceptions.

Fair Chance in Housing Act resources

New Jersey generally requires rental owners to maintain at least $500,000 in specified liability coverage.

The statutory minimum is $300,000 for qualifying multifamily homes of four or fewer units with an owner-occupied unit. Certificates must be registered annually with the municipality.

Rental liability insurance law

Flood disclosures also matter at the Shore. DCA identifies requirements effective March 20, 2024 concerning mapped flood risk and known prior flooding.

Lead-safety, smoke/CO, and other property requirements should also be checked for the particular rental.

State landlord-tenant resources and flood disclosure information

Special situations that deserve individual advice

Different rules can apply to seniors, people with disabilities, domestic-violence survivors, military tenants, and manufactured-home residents.

Assistance animals require a different analysis from ordinary pet policies.

Some statutory circumstances permit early lease termination. Moving out alone does not settle liability.

Certain pension and benefit recipients have a five-business-day statutory grace period when rent is due on the first of the month. This is not a universal grace period for every renter.

Five-day grace-period law

A sale or foreclosure does not automatically erase tenant protections.

Foreclosure alone is not good cause for eviction, and tenants do not have to accept a voluntary cash-for-keys offer. Specific owner-occupancy and notice rules require individual review.

DCA foreclosure and tenant-rights bulletin

Statewide rental assistance and housing resources

State Rental Assistance Program—SRAP

SRAP provides state-funded rental subsidies for eligible very-low-income New Jersey households.

As checked October 9, 2026, DCA's posted pre-application opening is closed. Monitor the official page for future openings.

A waiting-list position does not mean an immediate subsidy.

Official SRAP page

Emergency Assistance and Temporary Rental Assistance

County social services can screen qualifying WFNJ or SSI households for eligible arrears, deposits, shelter, or temporary rental assistance.

Eligibility depends on the household's circumstances and program requirements.

Work First New Jersey emergency assistance information

Homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing

DCA supports local providers serving eligible households facing eviction or homelessness.

Ask about current intake, required court documents, income limits, and funding.

DCA homelessness prevention programs and county contacts

Affordable housing searches

Use the free New Jersey Housing Resource Center or call 877-428-8844.

Search each county, then contact individual properties about eligibility, vacancies, and waiting lists.

Remember that an income-restricted apartment does not necessarily charge rent based on your actual income.

Search the NJ Housing Resource Center

Utility assistance

DCAid connects residents with eligible assistance programs for energy costs and other needs.

A screening result is not a benefits approval.

Visit DCAid

ANCHOR property-tax relief for renters

Eligible renters may qualify for ANCHOR property-tax relief.

The state's posted deadline for the 2025 benefit is November 2, 2026.

Income, residency, and property requirements apply. Certain tax-exempt housing is excluded. This benefit is separate from an emergency rent subsidy.

Official ANCHOR information

Housing assistance in each service county

County social services and homelessness prevention providers have different intake routes.

County social services can evaluate Emergency Assistance eligibility. The second contact below is a provider listed in DCA's January 2026 Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program directory.

Ask about eligibility, current funding, and required documents.

These contacts do not guarantee an open application or available funding.

Official county social-services directory

Official DCA assistance directory

For immediate housing-resource help, call 211.

If you have court papers, seek legal assistance promptly and attend your hearing even while an assistance application is pending.

New Jersey Eviction Guide

Legal Services of New Jersey

NJ Division on Civil Rights

What to do when you receive a rent increase

1. 1 Save the notice and record when and how you received it.
2. 2 Check your lease and the proposed effective date.
3. 3 Ask the municipal clerk or rent board whether your particular rental is covered.
4. 4 For subsidized or income-restricted housing, contact the administering agency or property compliance office.
5. 5 Request the calculation and any required approval, especially for a surcharge or claimed exemption.
6. 6 Keep payment records and obtain legal advice promptly if you dispute the increase.

Landlords should run these same checks before sending a notice.

Planning your next housing move?

I serve buyers, sellers, and property owners across Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.

If you are comparing a move, considering homeownership, or evaluating an investment property, connect with me at DerekDoernbach.com.

For legal disputes or benefits applications, use the appropriate attorney, rent board, housing agency, or social-services office linked above.

This article provides general educational information. The lease, property, current ordinance, and applicable housing program determine the rules. Consult a New Jersey landlord-tenant attorney about a specific dispute.