Edison, NJ Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)

Edison's rent-control framework lives in Code Chapter 17, the Housing chapter, in the §17-4 series. The substantive cap is the 5% annual ceiling on rent increases for covered units, and the Fair Rental Housing Board was created under Ord. 17-4.9 to administer the program, including hardship-increase applications. Coverage is limited by the chapter's definition of 'rental unit,' which excludes 'rental facilities containing less than five (5) units' - meaning duplexes, triplexes, and four-unit buildings are outside the cap, while five-unit and larger multifamily buildings are inside it. The chapter exempts initial post-vacancy rent: 'The provisions limiting rent increases [do] not apply upon the vacancy of a dwelling unit and its subsequent re-rental to a new tenant. Upon the re-rental of the dwelling unit to a new tenant, the landlord is free to rent the unit at a rental price mutually agreeable to the landlord and the prospective tenant for the initial one (1) year term of the lease.' That is a true vacancy-decontrol provision; thereafter the 5% cap reattaches. The notice requirement is 60 days' written notice of any rent increase. The chapter also requires every covered landlord to file certified annual rent rolls with the Fair Rental Housing Board on February 1 of each year, beginning February 1, 2003, listing each unit, the current tenant, the current rent, and the prior year's rent. Hardship increases above the 5% cap may be granted by the Board after a public hearing and on a finding that the landlord cannot meet mortgage payments, taxes, or current operating expenses, or otherwise cannot earn a fair and reasonable rate of return on investment in the dwelling. The Board's decisions are subject to ordinary administrative review. Edison Council has from time to time considered narrowing or broadening the cap, but as of May 2026 the 5% ceiling and the 60-day notice rule remain the operative figures in §17-4 and on the Fair Rental Housing Board's published guidance. The program runs alongside, and does not displace, the New Jersey Anti-Eviction Act at N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1 and the New Jersey Security Deposit Act at N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 et seq.