Lakewood, NJ Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Lakewood, NJ, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Cap with heat supplied
- 6.5% per year
- Cap without heat
- 5% per year
- Notice required
- 30 days written notice
- Enforcing body
- Lakewood Rent Control Board
- Small-building exemption
- 4 units or fewer, owner-occupied
- New construction exemption
- 7 years from C.O.
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 90 days
Summary
Lakewood Township, in Ocean County, caps most annual rent increases at 6.5% where the landlord supplies heat and 5% where it does not, under Chapter 14 of the Township Code. The Rent Control Board reviews hardship, capital-improvement and utility-cost increases beyond that cap, and landlords who charge excess rent face Municipal Court penalties.
Permitted Rental Increases. Landlords who supply tenants with heat are hereinafter permitted to raise rents on rental units governed by this section once a year at a flat rate increase of six and one half (6.5%) percent over the previous base rent permitted by this section or any prior ordinance except as otherwise hereinafter set forth. Landlords who do not supply tenants with heat are hereinafter permitted to raise rents on rental units governed by this section once a year at a flat rate increase of 5% over the previous base rent permitted by this section or any prior ordinance except as otherwise hereinafter set forth. This increase shall be effective at the expiration of a lease or termination of a rental period provided at least one year has passed since the last increase.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 14 of the Township Code, adopted to address what the Township Committee calls 'a serious public emergency' from a critical shortage of housing space, regulates rent increases on most multi-family rentals in Lakewood Township, Ocean County, New Jersey. 5% over the prior base rent; a landlord who does not supply heat is capped at 5%. 3b, locking in the rate for both years. 3d lets a landlord who forgoes an increase collect it later, prorated by the months since the last increase, capped at four years' worth.
6 lets a landlord add a per-square-foot tax surcharge when Township property taxes rise. 4, including buildings of four units or fewer that are owner-occupied, newly constructed units (exempt seven years from the first Certificate of Occupancy), government-subsidized units, and units in buildings substantially rehabilitated to raise assessed value by 50%. 16.
Violations & Fines
Section 14-1.17 makes it a Municipal Court offense for a landlord or agent to willfully charge or receive rent above what Chapter 14 permits, punishable under the Township's general penalty at § 1-5: up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days in the county jail, or 90 days of community service, with a minimum $100 fine and an added fine for a repeat violation within one year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lakewood Township, New Jersey have rent control?
How much can my landlord raise the rent in Lakewood, NJ?
Are any Lakewood rentals exempt from rent control?
What happens if a Lakewood landlord charges more than the legal increase?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
Compare Lakewood to another location·View the New Jersey rental property rules overview
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Rent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle rent control.