Rental Property Rules in Edison, NJ (2026)
5 verified rental property rules for Edison, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Edison is one of the New Jersey municipalities that has adopted local rent control. Code Chapter 17, §17-4 establishes the Edison Fair Rental Housing Board (created under Ord. 17-4.9) and caps annual rent increases on covered rental units at a maximum of 5% with at least 60 days' written notice. The chapter exempts dwellings with fewer than five rental units, and vacancy decontrol applies: when a covered unit becomes vacant and is re-rented to a new tenant, the initial rent for the new tenancy is set by free agreement between landlord and tenant. Hardship increases above the 5% cap are available only by application to the Fair Rental Housing Board after a public hearing.
Edison Has Local Rent Control Under §17-4 (Fair Rental Housing Board); 5% Annual Cap on Multi-Unit Rentals
Heavy RestrictionsJust Cause Eviction
New Jersey is a just-cause eviction state by statute, and Edison tenants are covered by the New Jersey Anti-Eviction Act at N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1 et seq. The Act bars a landlord from terminating a residential tenancy or refusing to renew a lease except on one of the enumerated grounds (non-payment of rent, disorderly conduct, willful damage, substantial lease breach, habitual late payment, illegal use, owner-occupied conversion of certain small buildings, and the other statutory grounds). Edison has not codified a separate local just-cause ordinance, but the state Act applies fully inside the township and is enforced in the Superior Court Landlord-Tenant section sitting in New Brunswick.
Edison Tenants Protected by NJ Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1) - Just Cause Required Statewide
Heavy RestrictionsRental Registration
Every rental unit in Edison must be registered with the Township Clerk under Code Chapter 17 and licensed before occupancy. The license year runs from March 1 through February 28; on expiration a new registration is required. The chapter layers a Rental Re-Occupancy Inspection by the Edison Division of Health on every new tenancy. First-offense violation of the registration requirement carries a $200 fine in Edison Municipal Court, $500 for a second offense, and the Chapter 1 §1-5 maximum thereafter. Newly constructed buildings with more than four rental units are exempt from the re-occupancy inspection (not the registration) for two state licensing periods after the certificate of occupancy.
Edison Rental Registration Required Under Chapter 17; March 1 - February 28 License Year
Heavy RestrictionsRental Inspection Programs
Edison runs one of the more aggressive rental-inspection programs in Middlesex County: under Code Chapter 17, every rental unit must pass a Rental Re-Occupancy Inspection by the Edison Division of Health before each new tenant occupies it. Application is filed with the Division, the inspection occurs within seven working days (and not earlier than seven days before vacancy), and a Rental Certificate of Approval issues on substantial compliance. The certificate is unit-specific and tenant-specific; without it the unit may not lawfully be occupied. New construction of more than four rental units is exempt for two state licensing periods after the certificate of occupancy.
Edison Rental Re-Occupancy Inspection Required Before Each New Tenancy (Division of Health)
Heavy RestrictionsSecurity Deposit Rules
Edison has not codified a separate local security-deposit ordinance, and security deposits at Edison rentals are governed by the New Jersey Rent Security Deposit Act at N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 et seq. The Act caps the deposit at 1.5 months' rent, requires the landlord to place the deposit in a separate interest-bearing account at a New Jersey bank or money-market fund and provide the tenant with written notice of the depository within 30 days, requires the interest to be credited to the tenant annually, and requires return of the deposit (less itemized deductions) within 30 days of the tenant's vacating - five days in the case of fire, flood, condemnation, or similar event. Doubled-deposit penalties plus attorney fees attach to non-compliance.
Edison Security Deposits Governed by NJ Security Deposit Act (N.J.S.A. 46:8-19); 1.5-Month Cap, 30-Day Return
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Middlesex County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Edison city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Middlesex County →