East Brunswick, NJ Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

This process lives in § 169-24 of the Township Code and reaches only dwellings covered by Chapter 169, not every rental in East Brunswick Township. The baseline is the landlord's duty to keep the same standards of service, maintenance, furniture, furnishings or equipment that he provided, or was required by law or lease to provide, at the inception of the lease. An individual tenant or a class of tenants can appeal to the Rent Leveling Board for a determination of the reasonable rental value of the unit in view of the deficiency.

The Board's powers in § 169-4 include holding hearings and adjudicating applications from tenants for a reduction in rental, and the Board must give ten days written notice of hearing to both the tenant and the landlord. Under § 169-4.1 there are no official meeting dates and the Board meets on an ad hoc basis. The Housing Specialist of the Township serves as Administrator under § 169-4.2, providing staff support and holding every Board power except hearing and adjudicating applications.

The Board has seven members: two landlords, two tenants and three homeowners, with a homeowner as chairperson (§ 169-2). Either side can appeal a determination to the Township Council within twenty days, and the Council can add thirty days for good cause. The Council hears the matter on the Board's record and transcript, takes oral and written argument and accepts no new evidence (§ 169-27).

A separate route handles violations of the chapter itself. Under § 169-30, any person claiming to be aggrieved can file a signed written complaint with the Clerk of the Municipal Court of the Township of East Brunswick, naming the sections violated. The Clerk has a copy served on the defendant and sets the matter down for hearing forthwith.