New Jersey has some of the strongest tenant protections in the country. Source of income — including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers — is protected under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), and a 2026 amendment made that protection even broader. The Anti-Eviction Act means most tenants can only be evicted for one of a fixed list of legal reasons, even after a lease ends. There is no statewide rent control, but roughly 100+ municipalities set their own rent caps. This page covers the statewide framework, your deposit rights, and how eviction works.
- 211 New Jersey — free, 24/7 — dial 2-1-1 for rental help, shelters, and utilities
- Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJLAWSM hotline): 1-888-576-5529
- NJ Division on Civil Rights (source-of-income complaints): 1-833-653-2748
- NJ Dept. of Community Affairs: nj.gov/dca
- HUD fair housing: 1-800-669-9777
Public Housing & Vouchers in New Jersey
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing in New Jersey are run by local housing authorities in cities and counties, and the state runs its own State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) through the Department of Community Affairs. To find the authority that serves you, use HUD’s PHA directory or read how to find your PHA. Each authority keeps its own waitlist, so apply to several. For income-restricted apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database or read how to find LIHTC housing. Because New Jersey protects source of income (below), a landlord cannot refuse you for using a voucher.
Source of Income Protection Under the NJLAD
The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination lists source of lawful income and source of lawful rent payment among its protected categories, so it is illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to you because you pay with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, SRAP, SSI, or other lawful assistance. A 2026 amendment strengthened this further: it gave a comprehensive definition of lawful income and barred landlords from applying a minimum-income or rent-to-income standard to anything beyond the portion of the rent you actually pay. Complaints go to the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR), which has brought a series of enforcement actions against landlords who turned away voucher holders. See our source-of-income protections guide.
Municipal Rent Control
New Jersey has no statewide rent control, but it allows cities and towns to adopt their own ordinances — and more than 100 have, covering a large share of the state’s renters. Cities including Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Hoboken, and East Orange cap annual increases (often in the range of 2–6%, frequently tied to inflation) and many require 60 days’ notice of an increase. Because the rules are local, check with your municipal rent-control or rent-leveling board, or call 211. Even where there is no cap, a rent increase cannot be unconscionable, and a tenant can challenge one that is.
The Anti-Eviction Act
The Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1) is the heart of New Jersey tenant protection. For most rental housing, a landlord can only evict for one of a fixed list of legal grounds — nonpayment, certain lease violations, owner move-in for some properties, and so on — and cannot simply refuse to renew a lease without one of those reasons. This “just cause” protection continues even after your written lease expires, as long as you keep paying rent and following the lease.
Emergency Rental Assistance in New Jersey
- Dial 211 (NJ 211) for the current list of rental, deposit, and eviction-prevention funds near you
- The Department of Community Affairs administers rental assistance and homelessness-prevention programs — check nj.gov/dca
- LIHEAP and USF help with utility and heating bills — see utility assistance programs
- Community Action agencies and county social services administer local prevention funds
See our emergency rental assistance guide for how these programs work.
New Jersey Tenant Law: Key Protections at a Glance
Quick Reference: New Jersey
- Source-of-income protection: yes — NJLAD; vouchers and assistance cannot be refused (strengthened by a 2026 amendment)
- Just cause to evict: yes — the Anti-Eviction Act limits eviction to specific legal grounds, even after a lease ends
- Rent control: none statewide — but 100+ municipalities cap increases; rent increases can never be unconscionable
- Security deposit: capped at 1.5 months’ rent; held in an interest-bearing NJ account; later increases limited to 10% per year
- Deposit return: within 30 days, with interest and an itemized statement
- Self-help eviction: illegal — only a Special Civil Part court officer can carry out a lockout, with a warrant of removal
Security deposits
A New Jersey landlord may not collect more than 1.5 months’ rent as a security deposit, must hold it in an interest-bearing New Jersey account, and may raise it later by no more than 10% a year. After you move out, the deposit (plus interest) must be returned within 30 days, along with an itemized statement of any deductions — and within five business days if you are displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation (15 business days for a domestic-violence lease termination). If a landlord wrongfully withholds it, you may be able to recover double the amount. See how to recover your security deposit.
Eviction process & how long it takes
Self-help eviction is illegal — a landlord cannot change the locks or shut off utilities, and only a Special Civil Part court officer can carry out a lockout. The process:
- Notice: for nonpayment of rent, New Jersey does not require advance notice before filing — but for most other grounds the landlord must first serve a Notice to Cease and then a Notice to Quit
- Complaint filed in the Special Civil Part (Landlord-Tenant) of Superior Court; you are served and given a court date
- Hearing — appear and raise defenses; in a nonpayment case, paying everything owed (sometimes through the day of trial) generally stops the eviction
- Warrant of removal: if the landlord wins, a warrant issues; a court officer must give you at least 3 business days’ notice, and the court can grant a hardship stay of up to 6 months
Because of the court process and possible stays, a New Jersey eviction commonly takes one to three months or longer. Don’t move out on a notice alone — get help from Legal Services of New Jersey (1-888-576-5529), and read how to avoid eviction.
Other Housing Programs in New Jersey
- HUD-VASH (veterans) — a voucher paired with VA case management; see how to apply for HUD-VASH
- State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) — New Jersey’s state-funded voucher, run by the DCA
- Emergency Housing Vouchers & rapid re-housing — access through Coordinated Entry by calling 211
- Eviction prevention — our eviction prevention hub explains what to do before your court date
Where to Get Help in New Jersey
Tenant help & legal aid: Legal Services of New Jersey runs the statewide LSNJLAWSM hotline (1-888-576-5529) for eviction and housing problems.
Source-of-income / discrimination: the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (1-833-653-2748) enforces the NJLAD.
Find your local PHA: HUD’s PHA directory or our how to find your PHA guide.
211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 or visit nj211.org for rental help, shelters, and utility assistance.
HUD fair housing: file at hud.gov/reporthousingdiscrimination or call 1-800-669-9777.
Next Steps
Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool routes you to the right mix of programs in about two minutes.
If you have a rent increase you think is excessive, ask whether your town has a rent-control board (call 211), and if you have an eviction notice, contact Legal Services of New Jersey right away. Read eviction prevention for your next moves.