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A4296
ASSEMBLY, No. 4296
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires development and promulgation of tenant legal
resources notice for tenants of certain multiple dwellings.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
requiring notification of availability of legal
resources to tenants of certain multiple dwellings and amending and
supplementing P.L.1975, c.310.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� Section 2 of P.L.1975,
c.310 (C.46:8-44) is amended to read as follows:
���� 2.��� As used in
[
this act
]
P.L.1975,
c.310 (C.46:8-43 et seq.)
:
���� a.���� "Landlord"
means any person who rents or leases or offers to rent or lease, for a term of
at least one month, dwelling units, except dwelling units in rental premises
containing not more than two such units, or in owner-occupied premises of not
more than three dwelling units, or in hotels, motels or other guest houses
serving transient or seasonal guests.
���� b.��� "Department"
means the Department of Community Affairs.
���� c.���� "Commissioner"
means the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
���� d.��� "Electronic funds
transfer" means a transfer of funds, other than a transaction originated
by check, draft, or similar paper instrument, that is initiated through an
electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape for the purpose of ordering,
instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit or credit a
consumer's account, including, but not limited to, through the use of an
automated clearinghouse (ACH) system.
����
e.� "State component"
means the department�s component of the tenant legal resources notice, required
pursuant to subsection c. of section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).
����
f.� "Tenant legal
resources notice" or "notice" means the legal notice required
pursuant to subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).
(cf: P.L.2019, c.300,
s.1)
[GA1]
[GA2]
���� 2.� (New section)� a.� Every
residential landlord who rents or leases, or offers to rent or lease, a
dwelling unit not exempted pursuant to subsection e. of this section shall
distribute to the tenant of each subject unit one copy of the tenant legal
resources notice of the municipality in which the dwelling unit is located on
or before the first day of the second month next following the date the
municipality publishes the notice on the municipality�s Internet website, and
shall thereafter provide a copy of the current notice to each tenant:
���� (1)� at or prior to the time
the tenant assumes occupancy of the dwelling;
���� (2)� upon renewal of the lease
term, regardless of whether the lease term is month-to-month or a greater time
period; and
���� (3)� with a summons and
complaint for any action filed against a tenant, the basis of which arose from
any legal obligation or responsibility contained in the lease agreement or
pursuant to the landlord-tenant relationship.
���� b.� A residential landlord
shall post, on or before the first day of the second month next following the
date the municipality in which a dwelling unit is located publishes the tenant
legal resources notice on the municipality�s Internet website, a copy of the
notice in a conspicuous location in or near the entryway of each structure that
contains residential dwelling units that are leased or offered for lease by the
landlord.
���� c.� The department shall, as
soon as practicable, and not later than the first day of the third month next
following the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill), and annually thereafter, after public hearing,
prepare and make available at no cost to the public, to the extent that funding
has been made available to the department for free distribution, a State
component to be included within the tenant legal services notice pursuant to
subsection d. of this section, in a form and size suitable for posting and
distribution pursuant to the provisions of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), which shall be no longer than
two pages of 12-point font, and shall contain the legal services available to a
residential tenant, including, at the discretion of the department, private
legal services provided by attorneys who represent residential tenants in this
State for tenants who do not qualify for free legal services, and legal services
provided by nonprofit organizations in this State.� The State component shall
provide the name or business name, address, and contact information available
for the tenant to access legal services.� The State component shall also
contain:
���� (1)� common claims and
defenses a tenant may assert against the tenant�s residential landlord;
���� (2)� the implications of
asserting the common claims or defenses with respect to an eviction and the
tenant�s ability to lease residential units in this State in the future; and
���� (3)� in capitalized,
bold-faced font, that a residential landlord�s failure to distribute the tenant
legal services notice, required pursuant to subsection d. of this section, in
accordance with the requirements of subsections a. and b. of this section, shall
subject a landlord to a $1,000 penalty pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1975, c.310
(C.46:8-47), pursuant to a complaint by the Attorney General or the residential
tenant.
���� d.� (1)� Each municipality
shall, on or before the first day of the third month next following the date
the department publishes the State component on the department�s Internet
website, prepare and publish on the municipality�s Internet website a tenant
legal services notice, which shall include: (a) the State component, published
pursuant to subsection c. of this section; (b) the legal services available to
a residential tenant, including private legal services provided by attorneys
who represent residential tenants in this State for tenants who do not qualify
for free legal services, included at the discretion of the municipality, and
legal services provided by nonprofit organizations in the municipality; (c) the
name or business name, address, and contact information available for the
tenant to access the legal services in the municipality; (d) a list of
resources available to a tenant pursuant to municipal ordinance, including
whether the municipality has a rent control ordinance and how to petition for
review of the landlord�s rent increase, and whether the municipality has
established a right-to-counsel program entitling residential tenants facing
eviction to legal counsel; and (e) any other legal resources available to a
tenant in the municipality, including the name and contact information for
public and private organizations that provide emergency and other rental
assistance to residential tenants, and resource navigation services, if
available.� The tenant legal services notice, not including the State
component, shall be no longer than three pages of 12-point font.
���� (2)� A municipality may by
ordinance establish a tenant legal resources notice surcharge to be charged to
a landlord for each dwelling unit in the municipality, and in an amount
necessary to pay the costs of the municipality for administration of this section.
���� e.� A landlord who violates
this section shall be subject to the penalty established pursuant to section 5
of P.L.1975, c.310 (C.46:8-47).� This section shall not apply to:
���� (1) seasonal rental units; or
���� (2) units in a building with
five or fewer units.
���� 3.� Section 5 of P.L.1975,
c.310 (C.46:8-47) is amended to read:
���� 5.�� Any landlord who violates
any provision of
[
this
act
]
P.L.1975,
c.310 (C.46:8-43 et seq.)
, contrary to the legal rights of tenants, shall
be liable to a penalty of
[
not
more than $100.00
]
$1,000
for each offense.
[
Such
]
The
penalty shall be collected and enforced by summary proceedings pursuant to
[
"the
penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S.2A:58-1 et seq.)
]
the "Penalty Enforcement
Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).� The tenant shall be
permitted to recover the penalty, reasonable attorney�s fees, court costs,
expenses for expert witnesses, and other related fees and expenses incurred in
proving a violation of P.L.1975, c.310 (C.46:8-43 et seq.)
.� The Superior
Court, Law Division, Special Civil Part in the county in which the rental
premises are located shall have jurisdiction over such proceedings.� Process
shall be in the nature of a summons or warrant, and shall issue upon the
complaint of the commissioner, the Attorney General, or any other person.
(cf: P.L.1991, c.91,
s.460)
[GA3]
[GA4]
���� 4.� This act shall take effect
on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment,
except that subsections a. and b. of section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall take effect on the first
day of the eighth month next following the date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires a landlord
to provide certain tenants with notification of their legal rights through a
tenant legal resources notice (notice).� A landlord who fails to provide
tenants with the tenant legal resources notice would be in violation of the
"Truth in Renting Act."� The notification requirement would not apply
to seasonal rental units or units in a building with five or fewer units.
���� The bill directs the
Department of Community Affairs to develop a State component summarizing State
resources and legal information available to tenants, including:
���� (1) the name or business name,
address, and all contact information available for the tenant to access the
legal services;
���� (2)�� common claims and
defenses a tenant may assert against the tenant�s residential landlord;
���� (3)�� the implications of
asserting the common claims or defenses with respect to an eviction and the
tenant�s ability to lease residential units in this State in the future; and
���� (4)�� notice that a
residential landlord�s failure to distribute the notice, required by the bill,
shall subject a landlord to a $1,000 penalty.
���� The bill additionally directs
each municipality to publish the notice for that municipality including:
���� (1) the State component;
���� (2) the legal services
available to a residential tenant, including private legal services provided by
attorneys who represent residential tenants in the State for tenants who do not
qualify for free legal services, included at the discretion of the municipality,
and legal services provided by nonprofit organizations in the municipality;
���� (3) the name or business name,
address, and all contact information available for the tenant to access the
legal services in the municipality;
���� (4) a list of resources
available to a tenant pursuant to local law, including whether the municipality
has a rent control ordinance or right-to-counsel program; and
���� (5) any other legal resources
available to a tenant in the municipality, including the name and contact
information for all public and private organizations that provide emergency and
other rental assistance to residential tenants, and resource navigation
services, if available.
���� The bill further allows a
municipality to establish a tenant legal resources notice surcharge to be
charged to a landlord for each dwelling unit in the municipality, and in an
amount necessary to pay the costs of the municipality under the bill.
���� The bill additionally
increases the penalty for violation of the "Truth in Renting Act"
from $100 to $1,000 per violation.� This increase is reflective of the tenfold
increase in price of rent in the time since the penalty was established in 1975.�
Further, the bill expressly permits a tenant to recover, in addition to the
$1,000 penalty, reasonable attorney�s fees, court costs, expenses for expert
witnesses, and other related fees and expenses incurred in proving a violation
of the bill.
���� The bill is to take effect on
the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment, except
that the provisions of section 2 of the bill concerning the obligations of a
residential landlord, are to take effect on the first day of the eighth month
next following the date of enactment.
[GA1]
Okay
[GA2]
C. 46:8-44 amended
2019, c.300, s.1.
[GA3]
Okay
[GA4]
����� C. 46:8-47
amended 1991, c.91, s.460.