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Elizabeth, NJ Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Filing deadline: March 1st annually
Data snapshot date: As of January 1st each year
Filed with: Fair Rental Housing Board
Rent-increase condition: No increase without registration
Refiling cycle: Every 12 months

Summary

Elizabeth landlords covered by the rent control chapter must register every rental dwelling annually with the Fair Rental Housing Board by March 1st, listing rents, services, and ownership details. No rent increase can be charged or collected until that registration is filed.

All dwellings subject to this chapter shall be registered annually with the board. Registrations on forms provided by the fair rental housing board shall be filed annually in the office of the board according to the street address of the dwelling. ... No increase in rent in any dwelling shall be charged or collected unless the landlord of the dwelling shall have complied with Section 5.70.050(A) and (B).

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).

Full Breakdown

70 to register annually with the fair rental housing board, on forms the board provides, filed by street address and including the owner's and any agent's name, address, and phone number, the services provided in the dwelling, a listing of the housing space, the present base rent for each unit, and any other information the board requires, all current as of January 1st of that year. 050(B)). 050(C) makes registration a precondition to any rent increase: no landlord may charge or collect an increase in a dwelling unless the owner has complied with the registration requirements. 010). 070(D)).

Violations & Fines

A landlord who willfully fails to file the annual registration is subject to the penalties in Section 5.70.230, and separately loses the ability to charge or collect any rent increase in that dwelling under Section 5.70.050(C) until the required registration is on file with the fair rental housing board.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does my rental property need to be registered in Elizabeth?

By March 1st of each year. Section 5.70.050(B) requires the completed registration form to be filed by that date and refiled every subsequent 12 months, covering rent and unit information as of the prior January 1st.

Can my landlord raise my rent if the property isn't registered?

No. Section 5.70.050(C) states that no increase in rent may be charged or collected in any dwelling unless the landlord has complied with the annual registration requirements in Section 5.70.050(A) and (B), so an unregistered building cannot lawfully raise rent.

What information does an Elizabeth rental registration have to include?

Section 5.70.050(A) requires the owner's and any agent's name, address, and phone number, the services provided in the dwelling, a listing of the housing space, the present base rent charged for each unit, and any other information the fair rental housing board specifies on its forms.

Sources & Official References

[1]Elizabeth, NJ Code of Ordinances § 5.70.050 Registration

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