Paterson, NJ Rental Property Rules: Rent Increase Notice (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice period
- At least 30 days in advance
- Recipients
- Tenant and Rent Leveling Administrator
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 381, Rent Leveling
- Required contents
- Dollar amount and percentage increase
Summary
Paterson landlords raising rent under the rent leveling ordinance must give tenants and the Rent Leveling Administrator written notice at least 30 days before the increase takes effect.
Any landlord seeking a rental increase pursuant to § 381-14 shall give the Rent Leveling Administrator and the affected tenant written notice of the proposed increase at least 30 days in advance.
B. The written notice shall provide the following information:
(1) The name and address of the tenant and the apartment number.
(2) The date the tenant's existing lease began.
(3) The present rent of the tenant.
(4) The previous year's rent and the date of the last increase in rent prior to the current notice of increase.
(5) The actual dollar amount of the proposed increase.
(6) The amount of the proposed increase stated as a percentage of tenant's present rent.
C. Any landlord seeking a rent increase based on the cost of housing index for Paterson shall comply with the procedures promulgated at the time of the public advertisement of such index.[1] [1]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4713536; v19 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Under Paterson's rent leveling ordinance, a landlord seeking any rent increase (annual, capital-improvement, or hardship) must give the Rent Leveling Administrator and the affected tenant written notice at least 30 days before the increase takes effect. The notice must state the tenant's name and apartment number, the date the current lease began, the present and prior year's rent, and the proposed increase expressed both as a dollar amount and a percentage. Increases sought for capital improvements or hardship follow separate notice procedures under §§ 381-17 and 381-19, which also require a copy of the notice to be filed with the landlord's application and served on each affected tenant.
Violations & Fines
A landlord who raises rent without giving the required 30-day written notice, or whose notice omits the required details, has not properly noticed the increase under § 381-15 and risks having the increase disallowed by the Rent Leveling Board or Administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much advance notice must a Paterson landlord give before raising rent?
What information must the rent increase notice include?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
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