Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for New Jersey.
Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.
Sources last checked July 2026
New Jersey requires just cause for nearly all residential evictions under its Anti-Eviction Act, barring landlords from ending a tenancy simply by declining to renew a lease, under N.J.S.A. § 2A:18-61.1 through -61.12. Security deposits are capped at 1.5 times monthly rent and must be returned within 30 days. The state sets no statewide cap on rent increases, but expressly authorizes municipalities to enact their own rent control ordinances, and roughly 117 cities and towns currently have one in force.
A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit exceeding one and one-half times the monthly rental payment. Any annual increase to the security deposit is limited to 10% of the current deposit amount. The landlord must return the deposit plus accrued interest within 30 days of tenancy termination.
New Jersey's Anti-Eviction Act prohibits landlords from evicting residential tenants without just cause. Grounds include nonpayment of rent (no prior notice required before filing), disorderly conduct (3-day notice), or substantial lease violations (1-month notice). Landlords cannot evict merely by refusing to renew a lease. Tenants in buildings with three or more units are fully protected.
New Jersey landlords must provide tenants with at least 30 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect. For fixed-term leases, the landlord must notify the tenant of the new rental amount before offering a renewal. Local ordinances in municipalities with rent control may require 60 to 90 days' notice.
New Jersey has no statewide limit on rent increases. However, the state expressly authorizes municipalities to enact local rent control ordinances, and approximately 117 cities and towns have done so. Municipal caps typically range from 2% to 6% per year, often tied to the Consumer Price Index. All tenants statewide are protected from 'unconscionable' rent increases regardless of local ordinance.
In New Jersey, a tenant on a month-to-month tenancy must give the landlord one month's (30 days') written notice before vacating. Week-to-week tenants must give 7 days' notice, and year-to-year tenants must give 3 months' notice. Landlords cannot terminate a residential tenancy without just cause under the Anti-Eviction Act.
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