A New Jersey Rental Application is the perfect solution for landlords seeking assistance in creating an effective lease application form. It helps you identify the ideal tenant without compromising on their rights.
Laws
- Application Fee – Non- refundable
- Fee Limits – No limits
- Security Deposit – § 46:8-21.2 – For the initial year, the maximum deposit amount is one and a half months’ rent, and after that period, the landlord may request an additional ten percent of the initial amount as a further deposit.
Application Fees
All New Jersey property owners are required to follow state law. A few critical points include the following:
- Landlords are allowed to charge applicants an application fee, and there is no limit to that application fee.
- Even though there is no maximum limit, landlords should charge an application fee proportional to the cost of processing the application [1] .
Fair Housing Protections
Always follow the Federal Fair Housing Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. [2]
In most instances, the Fair Chance in Housing Act prohibits landlords and property owners from asking about criminal history on rental applications. [3]
The two main exceptions are whether the applicant has been convicted of drug-related criminal activity for manufacturing or producing methamphetamine on federally assisted housing or whether the applicant is subject to lifetime registration on a state sex offender registry.
Rental and Housing Discrimination
As a property owner, you must avoid allegations of housing discrimination. In 2021, New Jersey had more than 500 allegations of housing discrimination [4] . These can be costly complaints to deal with.
While you need to collect the correct information, you must ensure you do so in a way that does not violate the rights of your applicants.
Security Deposits
Landlords are allowed to collect a security deposit, but this security deposit cannot be more than one and one-half month’s rent [5] .
Rules About Holding Deposits
Landlords must also hold that security deposit in an adequately insured bank. This ensures the security deposit is not lost.
Pet Deposits
Landlords can charge a non-refundable pet deposit as long as the total security deposit is not more than one and one-half month’s rent.
Sample
Below is an example of a standard New Jersey rental application form.
