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

Section 5.80.150 of the New Brunswick Municipal Code sets one clear notice rule for the City of New Brunswick: any landlord seeking an increase in base rent must, at least thirty days before the effective date, notify the continuing tenant in writing of the calculations involved in computing the increase. The notice must show the math, not just the new number.

Section 5.80.130(A) adds a document duty when a new rental occurs or a continuing rental is renewed at an increased rent. The landlord must furnish the tenants the most recent annual registration filing for the tenant's unit, any surcharge notices for that dwelling required by § 5.80.170 and given within the prior twelve months, every vacancy decontrol application made within the prior twelve months, and all documentation evidencing approval of those increases. Section 5.80.130(B)(1)(c) requires every increase sought to come with a written attestation from the landlord certifying whether any open violations exist on the unit and their status.

The notice sits inside the rent control limits. Base rent cannot be increased more than once in any twelve month period, and the increase cannot be less than one percent nor greater than four percent (§ 5.80.130). Base rent increases under § 5.80.130 do not need prior approval of the rent control board (§ 5.80.060), but rent increases and surcharges can only be charged on units registered or exempted under the chapter. Under § 5.80.120(B) no landlord is eligible for a rental increase or surcharge unless the unit has a valid certificate of code compliance issued under the New Brunswick property maintenance code. A tenant or owner can apply to the rent control administrator for a certification of the current maximum legally allowable rent for $10 per unit (§ 5.80.155). If the tenant receives a vacancy decontrol, § 5.80.140(A)(5) requires written notice of the approved decontrol to the new tenant, attached to and made part of the lease.