A New Jersey lease agreement is a legally binding document outlining the terms to which a landlord and tenant agree when leasing residential property in the state.
This contract should include provisions like the name and current address of both the landlord and tenant, the address of the property, the lease term, any restrictions on pets, and information concerning health and safety hazards.
By Type
Commercial Lease Agreement
Grants a tenant the right to use a landlord's property for commercial use.
Rent-to-Own Lease Agreement
Permits a tenant to buy the property they were leasing after their rental period expires.
Sublease Agreement
Allows a tenant to re-rent their property to someone else while maintaining responsibility to the original landlord.
Room Rental Agreement
Details guidelines and financial duties for occupants renting individual rooms within a larger rented property.
Laws
Overview
Rent Control: No
Limit on Late Fees: No
Late Fees in Rental Agreement: No
Grace Period: Yes
License Required for Landlord: No
Required Lease Disclosures
According to the New Jersey Revised Statutes, landlords must make the following lease disclosures in their lease agreements:
- Crime Insurance. An owner of a multiple dwelling shall provide tenants with information about crime insurance through the Federal Crime Insurance Program and inform them where to obtain these applications (§ 46:8-39).
- Truth in Renting Act. Landlords must provide information regarding the Truth In Renting Act, and notify tenants where they can access publications in both English and Spanish.
- Disclosure of Flood Hazard Area. The landlord must inform each tenant if the rental property is located within a designated “flood zone” or area (§ 46:8-50).
- Window Guard Disclosure. Landlords must provide a notice to tenants informing them that the owner will provide, install, and maintain child-protection window guards in any unit occupied by a child of age ten or younger if the tenant submits a written request (applicable to multiple-unit dwellings only) (§ 5:10-27.1(c)). Every lease agreement should contain the following statement in bold:
“The owner (landlord) is required by law to provide, install and maintain window guards in the apartment if a child or children 10 years of age or younger is, or will be, living in the apartment or is, or will be, regularly present there for a substantial period of time if the tenant gives the owner (landlord) a written request that the window guards be installed. The owner (landlord) is also required, upon the written request of the tenant, to provide, install and maintain window guards in the hallways to which persons in the tenant’s unit have access without having to go out of the building. If the building is a condominium, cooperative or mutual housing building, the owner (landlord) of the apartment is responsible for installing and maintaining window guards in the apartment and the association is responsible for installing and maintaining window guards in hallway windows. Window guards are only required to be provided in first floor windows where the window sill is more than six feet above grade or there are other hazardous conditions that make installation of window guards necessary to protect the safety of children.”
- Disclosure of Lead-Based Hazards. All New Jersey landlords of any building constructed before 1978 must notify all tenants of the potential existence of lead-based hazards (Title 42 U.S. Code § 4852(d)).
Security Deposit
A landlord may request from the tenant up to one and a half times the monthly rent as a security deposit (§ 46:8-21.2).
New Jersey state laws require a landlord to return the security deposit (plus any interest or earnings accumulated and less any charges incurred per the lease agreement) to the tenant within thirty days of the lease’s end or termination (§ 46:8-21.1).
Landlord Right of Entry
Although there is no statutory requirement for notice, a landlord must provide “reasonable notification” to the tenant before entering the premises in case of a non-emergency (N.J. Admin. Code § 5:10-5.1).
Small Claims Court
If a tenant disagrees with a landlord about the return of a security deposit, they may take the landlord to small claims court to receive up to $5,000 (§ 46:8-21.4).
Sample
Review our New Jersey lease agreement template and download it as a PDF or Word file below:
