All Bergen County rentals are governed by the New Jersey Anti-Eviction Act, which requires landlords to demonstrate one of 18 statutory good causes before evicting a tenant. The county has no separate eviction ordinance.
The New Jersey Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1) is one of the strongest tenant protection statutes in the United States and applies in every Bergen County municipality. Covered tenants in residential dwellings of three or more units, and most smaller rentals, can only be evicted for one of 18 enumerated grounds, including non-payment of rent, disorderly conduct, lease violations, owner occupancy, or substantial property renovation. Owner-occupied two- and three-unit dwellings where the owner lives on-site are exempt. Tenants must receive proper written notice (typically 30 days to 18 months depending on cause), and evictions must be processed through Special Civil Part landlord-tenant court at the Bergen County Justice Center in Hackensack.
Self-help evictions, lockouts, or utility shutoffs by landlords are illegal and may result in damages, fines up to $5,000, and disorderly persons charges.
See how Ridgewood's just cause eviction rules stack up against other locations.
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