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

Section 5-165 sits within the Rent Leveling Commission's rent control article, Chapter 5, Article XXIX, and applies whenever a landlord in a residential multiple-family dwelling seeks a rent increase under § 5-162. The landlord must notify the tenant in writing, by certified mail or personal service, using a form the Business Administrator has approved. That notice must lay out the calculations behind the requested increase, including all information needed to work through the § 5-162 formula (the Consumer Price Index and Residential Renters Consumer Price Index averages for the preceding July, and whether the unit is capped at the full average or 60% of it because the landlord does not furnish heat), plus the rent actually charged under the tenant's most recent prior lease so the tenant can check the math. A copy of the completed notice form must be filed with the Secretary of the Rent Leveling Commission at the same time the tenant is notified, giving the Commission a running record of every increase sought in the Township.

This notice duty is separate from, and precedes, any hardship-increase proceeding: a landlord seeking a hardship increase for a fair rate of return or a capital-improvement surcharge under § 5-163 must additionally post notice in the building lobby at least 15 days before filing that appeal, and must notify tenants by certified mail of the improvement's total cost, useful life and per-unit surcharge. Landlords may not pass the Township's rental inspection fee on to tenants under § 5-172, and any attempt to waive these tenant notice protections is void under § 5-168.