Expands residential landlord registration requirements and permitted penalties.

S4362

SENATE, No. 4362

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 28, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands residential landlord registration
requirements and permitted penalties.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning residential landlord registration and
amending and supplementing P.L.1974, c.50.

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

���� 1.� Section 2 of P.L.1974,
c.50 (C.46:8-28) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� Every landlord shall,
within 30 days following the effective date of
[
this act
]

P.L.1974,
c.50 (C.46:8-27 et seq.)
, or at the time of the creation of the first
tenancy in any newly constructed or reconstructed building, file with the clerk
of the municipality, or with such other municipal official as is designated by
the clerk, in which the residential property is situated, in the case of a
one-dwelling unit rental or a two-dwelling unit non-owner occupied premises, or
with the Bureau of Housing Inspection in the Department of Community Affairs in
the case of a multiple dwelling as defined in section 3 of the "Hotel and
Multiple� Dwelling
[
Law"
]

Law,"
P.L.1967, c.76
(C.55:13A-3), a certificate of registration on forms
prescribed� by the Commissioner of Community Affairs, which shall contain the
following� information:

���� a.���� The name and address of
the record owner or owners of the premises and the record owner or owners of
the rental business if not the same persons.� In the case of a partnership the
names of all general partners shall be provided;

���� b.��� If the record owner is a
corporation, the name and address of the registered agent and corporate
officers of said corporation;

���� c.���� If the address of any
record owner is not located in the county in which� the premises are located,
the name and address of a person who resides in the� county in which the
premises are located and is authorized to accept notices� from a tenant and to
issue receipts therefor and to accept service of process� on behalf of the
record owner;

���� d.��� The name and address of
the managing agent of the premises, if any;

���� e.���� The name and address,
including the dwelling unit, apartment or room number of the superintendent,
janitor, custodian or other individual employed by the record owner or managing
agent to provide regular maintenance service, if any;

���� f.���� The name, address and
telephone number of an individual representative of the record owner or
managing agent who may be reached or contacted at any time in the event of an
emergency affecting the premises or any unit of dwelling space therein,
including such emergencies as the failure of any essential service or system,
and who has the authority to make emergency decisions concerning the building
and any repair thereto or expenditure in connection therewith and shall, at all
times, have access to a current list of building tenants that shall be made
available to emergency personnel as required in the event of an emergency;

���� g.��� The name and address of
every holder of a recorded mortgage on the premises;

���� h.��� If fuel oil is used to
heat the building and the landlord furnishes the� heat in the building, the
name and address of the fuel oil dealer servicing the building and the grade of
fuel oil used.

����
i.� Proof of property
insurance, and the name and contact information of a local property insurance
agent employed by the insurer of the property.

(cf: P.L.2003, c.56, s.2)

���� 2.� (New section)� a.� The
Department of Community Affairs shall develop and offer training, or approve
training conducted by other public or private organizations, concerning
standards of habitability, residential lead hazards, residential mold hazards,
and tenant rights in the State.�

���� b.� Within one year following
the effective date of subsection a. of this section or at the time of the
creation of the first tenancy in any newly constructed or reconstructed
building, and every three years thereafter:

���� (1) a landlord of a
one-dwelling unit rental or a two-dwelling unit non-owner occupied premises shall
certify to the clerk of the municipality, or with such other municipal official
as may be designated by the clerk, in which the residential property is
situated, �that the landlord has completed training conducted or approved by
the department pursuant to subsection a. of this section; or�

���� (2) a landlord of a multiple
dwelling, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-3), shall certify
to the Bureau of Housing Inspection in the Department of Community Affairs,
that the landlord has completed training conducted or approved by the
department pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

���� 3.� Section 9 of P.L.1974,
c.50 (C.46:8-35) is amended to read as follows:

���� 9.�� Any landlord who shall
violate any provision of
[
this
act
]

P.L.1974,
c.50 (C.46:8-27 et seq.)
shall be liable to a penalty of not more than
$500.00 for each offense, recoverable by a summary proceeding under "the
penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S.2A:58-1 et seq.). �The Superior Court, Law
Division, Special Civil Part in the county or the municipal court of the
municipality in which the premises are located shall have jurisdiction to
enforce
[
said
]

the

penalty
, and, in the event of multiple or unabated violations, void a
registration certificate filed pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1974, c.50 (C.46:8-28)
.�

���� The Attorney General, the
municipality in which the premises are located, or any other person may
institute the proceeding; where the municipality or any other person other than
the Attorney General institutes the proceeding, a recovered penalty should be
remitted by the court to the municipality in which the premises subject to the
proceeding are located.�

(cf: P.L.1991, c.91, s.458)

���� 4.� The Commissioner of
Community Affairs may adopt rules and regulations as necessary, in accordance
with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1
et seq.), to effectuate the provisions of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 5. �This act shall take effect
immediately, except that subsection a. of section 2 of this act shall take
effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill amends current law
requiring residential landlords to file a certificate of registration with the
clerk of the municipality or other municipal official, or the Bureau of Housing
Inspection (bureau) in the Department of Community Affairs (department), as
applicable.� The bill requires the registration form to include proof of
property insurance and the name and contact information of a local property
insurance agent employed by the insurer of the property.�

���� The bill also requires a
landlord to certify to the clerk of the municipality or other municipal
official, or the bureau, as applicable, that the landlord has completed
training conducted or approved by the department concerning standards of
habitability, residential lead hazards, residential mold hazards, and tenant
rights in the State.

���� The bill permits the Superior
Court, Law Division, Special Civil Part in the county or the municipal court of
the municipality in which the premises are located to, in addition to an
existing monetary penalty, void a registration certificate filed in the event
of multiple or unabated violations.

���� The bill is to take effect
immediately except that the provisions concerning training requirements are to
take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment.� �