Freehold Township, NJ Rental Property Rules: Rent Increase Notice (2026)

Section 261-8 of Chapter 261, Rent Control, governs the automatic annual rent increase landlords may seek at lease renewal. Subsection A ties the allowable percentage to the change in the Consumer Price Index, capped at 90% of that CPI change if the landlord supplies heat or 80% if the tenant pays for heat, measured between the fourth month before the prior lease began and the fourth month before the new lease term starts. Subsection B limits any tenant to one automatic increase in a twelve-month period, though that cap does not block a separate hardship increase under §261-9.

Subsection C requires the landlord to serve written notice at least 30 days before the anticipated increase date, and the notice must show the CPI figures used, the calculation of the allowable percentage, the resulting dollar increase rounded to the nearest dollar, the new rent for the coming term, the implementation date, and a certificate of substantial compliance no more than six months old certifying the property is at least 90% free of Property Maintenance Code violations. Subsection D lets a tenant who disputes the facts or math appeal to the Rent Control Board by mailing a notice at least 15 days before the increase takes effect, which stays the increase until the Board rules; if the Board sides with the tenant the increase is void, the landlord must reimburse the tenant's filing fee, and a corrected notice must restart the 30-day clock before any new increase can take effect.