NJ A3996

Landlords of residential rental properties in municipalities with rent control ordinances must file rent control compliance forms with the municipal clerk within six months of the bill's effective date, with amendments due within 20 days of any information changes.

The Department of Community Affairs must create and publish a standardized rent control compliance form within 30 days and establish a publicly searchable online database within six months for municipalities to maintain digitized records.

$2 million is appropriated from the General Fund to provide grants to municipalities for digitizing rent control compliance records.

Missing or incomplete records in the state database create a rebuttable presumption that a rental property is subject to municipal rent control, taking effect 12 months after enactment.

Landlords who knowingly submit false information face civil penalties of $150 per offense, with each affected unit and each month of violation constituting a separate offense.