NJ's COVID eviction moratorium ran March 2020 through January 2022, with sealed records and rental assistance follow-up. Jersey City courts cleared a substantial backlog through 2023 with mediation programs.
Governor Murphy's executive orders barred residential eviction filings during the public health emergency. The Eviction Prevention Program distributed federal Emergency Rental Assistance covering arrears for households below 80% AMI. Jersey City partnered with Hudson County to push outreach, especially in Spanish and Arabic. Court records from moratorium-era filings were sealed under P.L. 2021 c.188 to prevent screening discrimination. Backlog cases received mandatory mediation through Hudson County Superior Court. Tenants who entered repayment plans during the moratorium remain protected from eviction over arrears if they continue to comply. Many landlords received the equivalent rent through ERA disbursements.
Pursuing eviction for moratorium-era arrears outside approved repayment plans, or screening tenants using sealed records, violates state law and exposes landlords to civil penalties.
Jersey City, NJ
Jersey City's 2020 Right to Counsel ordinance provides free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. JC was the fifth US city to adopt thi...
Jersey City, NJ
Jersey City has strong tenant protections including just cause eviction requirements. New Jersey's Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1) requires landlords...
See how Jersey City's eviction moratorium history rules stack up against other locations.
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