Trenton, NJ Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

Section 132-11 of the Housing Code creates a formal public-petition route for triggering enforcement. When at least five residents of the City of Trenton file a petition with the Housing Inspector charging that a dwelling or dwelling unit violates the chapter, the inspector must forthwith cause the premises to be inspected under the same procedure used for periodic inspections in § 132-7. That downstream inspection can lead to a Notice of Violation under § 132-12, which must identify the property, state the reason for the notice, allow reasonable time to correct the problem, and explain the owner's right to petition for a hearing.

A notice automatically becomes a binding order if the person served does not file a written petition for a hearing with the Housing Inspector within 10 days (§ 132-15). Requested hearings must be scheduled within 30 days of the petition, with five days' written notice to the petitioner (§ 132-16), and the inspector's written decision is served on the hearing petitioner within 10 days of the hearing (§ 132-20). This petition mechanism gives Trenton tenants and neighbors a direct, low-threshold way to compel a housing inspection without waiting for the city's own inspection cycle.