Prohibits self-service storage facilities from charging certain punitive fees to consumers paying with vouchers under certain circumstances.

A2118

ASSEMBLY, No. 2118

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Prohibits self-service storage facilities from
charging certain punitive fees to consumers paying with vouchers under certain
circumstances.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning self-storage facility fees for
consumers paying with vouchers and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et
seq.).

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:

���� �Owner� means the same as the
term is defined by section 2 of P.L.1983, c.136 (C.2A:44-188).

���� �Self-service storage
facility� means the same as the term is defined by section 2 of P.L.1983, c.136
(C.2A:44-188).

���� �Voucher� means any payment
provided by a government entity in accordance with the provisions of the Work
First New Jersey program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et
seq.) or any other federal or State income assistance program established by
law.�

���� b.��� No owner of a
self-service storage facility shall charge a late fee, a pre-foreclosure fee,
or a fee to unlock access to a self-service storage facility unit leased by a
person who pays with a voucher when the payment is delayed by the issuing
authority of the voucher.

���� c.���� A person in violation
of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first
offense, to be collected by the Director of Consumer Affairs in the Department
of Law and Public Safety in a summary proceeding under the �Penalty Enforcement
Law of 1999,� P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

���� A subsequent violation of this
section shall be an unlawful practice and violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1
et seq.).

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits
self-service storage facilities from charging late fees and other punitive fees
when a consumer is paying with a voucher and the payment is delayed by the
issuing authority of the voucher.

���� Currently, a self-storage
facility may charge certain penalty fees when a consumer misses a payment
deadline.� Additionally, the consumer may lose access to their stored
belongings in measures leading up to a foreclosure.� In the instance of a
person paying with a voucher, the delayed payment may be due to the actions of
the issuing authority.� This bill prohibits a storage facility from charging
punitive fees to a consumer using a voucher issued in accordance with
provisions of Work First New Jersey or any other federal or State income
assistance program established by law when the payment is delayed by the
issuing authority of the voucher.

���� An initial violation of the
bill�s provisions is punishable by a monetary penalty of $1,000.� Any
subsequent violation of the bill�s provisions is an unlawful
practice under the consumer fraud act, punishable by a
monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than
$20,000 for any subsequent offense.� In addition, violations may result in
cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of
punitive damages, and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured
party.�