Rental Property Rules in Jersey City, NJ (2026)
4 verified rental property rules for Jersey City, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Jersey City locks rents at the base level the landlord actually received on January 11, 1973, under Chapter 260's rent control ordinance. Increases are barred except at lease expiration or termination, and even then are capped at four percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index: whichever is less. Any increase beyond that formula is void, and the landlord must refund or credit the excess immediately.
Jersey City Rent Control Ordinance
Significant RestrictionsJersey City Code § 260-2(C); § 260-3(A)
§ 260-2.C: All rents for rental of housing space and services in dwellings to which this chapter is applicable are hereby controlled at the base rent level received by the landlord as of January 11, 1973, and no rental increases shall be hereinafter demanded, paid or accepted, except as provided in this chapter. ... § 260-3.A: At the expiration of a lease or at the termination of a lease of a p...
Rental Registration
Owners and landlords of any Jersey City dwelling with five or more housing spaces must file a landlord registration statement with the Bureau of Rent Leveling under § 260-2(F). The statement must be filed within 90 days of the first tenancy, renewed every January 1 to March 3, and updated within seven days whenever the property changes hands.
Jersey City Landlord Registration Statement
Some RestrictionsJersey City Code § 260-2(F)(1)
§ 260-2.F(1): Every owner and/or landlord shall within 90 days following the effective date of this subsection or the creation of the first tenancy in any dwelling containing five (5) or more housing spaces, whether or not subject to the restrictions of rent increases under this Chapter, file a landlord registration statement with the Bureau of Rent Leveling containing the following information...
Rent Increase Notice
Before raising rent for the cost-of-living increase Chapter 260 allows, a Jersey City landlord must give the tenant written notice at least 30 days before the increase takes effect under § 260-4. The notice must show the Consumer Price Index math behind the increase and tell the tenant they can contest it to the Rent Leveling Bureau within six months.
Jersey City Rent Increase Notice Requirement
Some RestrictionsJersey City Code § 260-4
§ 260-4: Any landlord seeking a cost-of-living rental increase shall notify the tenant in writing at least 30 days prior to the effective date of the increase as required by law of the calculations involved in computing the increase, including the consumer price index three months prior to the expiration or termination of the lease and the commencement of the lease term, or for a periodic tenan...
Repairs & Habitability
Jersey City's Property Maintenance Code requires owners to supply at least 68°F between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. and 65°F overnight, October 1 through May 1, whenever it's below 55°F outside, with heating equipment in 4+-unit buildings inspected every two years by a licensed contractor.
Jersey City Rental Heat Requirements
Some RestrictionsJersey City Code § 254-27A(1)(a)
Every dwelling unit shall contain supplied heating facilities which are installed properly, are maintained in safe and good working condition and are capable of maintaining a minimum inside temperature of at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit between the hours of 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. whenever the outside temperature fal...