Not legal advice. This is a free reference compiled from official government sources. Laws change and local details matter. Confirm every deadline with the official source or a licensed attorney before you rely on it.
Rent control registration with the Fair Rental Housing Board every year by March 1 Verified
Deadline: Every year by March 1 (window opens January 1)
Register each rent-controlled building with Elizabeth's Fair Rental Housing Board (Bureau of Rent Control) every year. Registration reports are as of January 1, filing opens January 1, and completed forms are due by March 1. You may not charge or collect a rent increase unless the building is registered.
Who it covers: Rent-controlled dwellings under City Code Chapter 5.70: generally non-owner-occupied buildings with 3 or more units (the city's January 2026 registration notice lists non-owner-occupied properties built before 1996 with three or more units). Exempt: buildings with 2 units or fewer, owner-occupied 3- and 4-unit buildings, hotels, motels and rooming houses; newer construction may be exempt. Owners of owner-occupied buildings are asked to file a proof-of-residence affidavit with the Rent Control office.
"All dwellings subject to this chapter shall be registered annually with the board." elizabethnj.org
"All registration reports shall be as of January 1 of each year." elizabethnj.org
"All completed registration forms must be filed by March 1, and every subsequent twelve (12) months." elizabethnj.org
"No increase in rent in any dwelling shall be charged or collected unless the landlord of the dwelling shall have complied with Section 5.70.050(A) and (B)." elizabethnj.org
"ALL properties that are non-owner-occupied and built before 1996 with three (3) or more residential units." elizabethnj.org
"Exempt from this chapter are motels, hotels, rooming houses and similar type buildings, housing units of two (2) units or less, housing units of three (3) are owner-occupied and housing units of four (4) which are owner-occupied." elizabethnj.org
Notes: Elizabeth City Code 5.70.050 (master document effective 12-12-2024) and the Bureau of Rent Control's January 2026 registration notice (registration opens January 1). Chapter 5.70.250 sets an expiration date (December 31, 2026 in the codified text); the city's ordinance list includes Ordinance No. 6328 (passed October 13, 2026), titled as extending it to December 31, 2027. That ordinance is a scanned PDF, read by a person but not machine-checkable, so it is not quoted.
Last verified 2026-10-23 · Confidence: medium · Status: verified · Report a correction
At the first rental and at least once a year: tell tenants about rent control registration, their rights and the Board's contact details Verified
Deadline: At the initial rental and at least once a year after that
When a tenancy starts and at least once a year, inform tenants that they have rights under the New Jersey Truth-in-Renting Act and the rent control chapter, that you file a rental registration with the Fair Rental Housing Board every year (where they can verify the base rent), and that they can file a complaint and request a hearing. Also give tenants the name, address and phone number of the Board and of the NJ Department of Community Affairs Office of Landlord/Tenant Information.
Who it covers: Rent-controlled dwellings under City Code Chapter 5.70: generally non-owner-occupied buildings with 3 or more units (the city's January 2026 registration notice lists non-owner-occupied properties built before 1996 with three or more units). Exempt: buildings with 2 units or fewer, owner-occupied 3- and 4-unit buildings, hotels, motels and rooming houses; newer construction may be exempt. Owners of owner-occupied buildings are asked to file a proof-of-residence affidavit with the Rent Control office.
"A landlord must inform tenants, at the initial rental and at least annually, that the landlord is required to file a rental registration form with Elizabeth's fair rental housing board, on an annual basis" elizabethnj.org
"A landlord must inform tenants, at the initial rental and at least annually, that the tenant has a right to file a complaint and request a hearing with Elizabeth's fair rental housing board" elizabethnj.org
"A landlord must provide to all tenants the name, address and telephone number of Elizabeth's fair rental housing board and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Office of Landlord/Tenant Information." elizabethnj.org
Notes: Elizabeth City Code 5.70.070(C)-(G). Chapter 5.70.250 sets an expiration date (December 31, 2026 in the codified text); the city's ordinance list includes Ordinance No. 6328 (passed October 13, 2026), titled as extending it to December 31, 2027. That ordinance is a scanned PDF, read by a person but not machine-checkable, so it is not quoted.
Last verified 2026-10-23 · Confidence: medium · Status: verified · Report a correction
Rent increase: at least 30 days' notice on the Board's form; one increase per 12 months, capped at 3% (and $20 under a 2025 amendment) Verified
Deadline: At least 30 days before the rent increase takes effect
Give the tenant notice at least 30 days before a rent increase, on the Board's form, by certified mail or by personal service with the tenant's signed receipt. Base rent may go up only once in any 12 months, at lease expiration, the end of a periodic tenancy or the building's anniversary date, and only if the building is registered. The codified text caps the increase at 3% over the prior 12 months' base rent; Ordinance No. 6160 (2025) adds a $20 limit when 3% would be more than $20.
Who it covers: Rent-controlled dwellings under City Code Chapter 5.70: generally non-owner-occupied buildings with 3 or more units (the city's January 2026 registration notice lists non-owner-occupied properties built before 1996 with three or more units). Exempt: buildings with 2 units or fewer, owner-occupied 3- and 4-unit buildings, hotels, motels and rooming houses; newer construction may be exempt. Owners of owner-occupied buildings are asked to file a proof-of-residence affidavit with the Rent Control office.
"Any landlord seeking an increase in rent shall provide notice to the tenant no less than thirty (30) days prior to the proposed increase." elizabethnj.org
"Notices shall be on forms prescribed by the board and shall be served by certified mail or by personal service, provided that the landlord obtains the tenant's signature acknowledging receipt of the notice." elizabethnj.org
"no landlord shall request or receive any increase in base rent in excess of three percent (3%) over the base rent received for the twelve (12) months prior." elizabethnj.org
"No landlord may request or receive more than one increase in base rent for any twelve (12) month period." elizabethnj.org
"No increase in rent in any dwelling shall be charged or collected unless the landlord has complied with submitting ... Rent Control Property Registration." elizabethnj.org
Notes: Elizabeth City Code 5.70.060 and 5.70.070 (master document effective 12-12-2024). Conflict between city documents on the cap: the codified text and the January 2026 registration notice say 3%, while Ordinance No. 6160 (approved August 2025; scanned PDF on elizabethnj.org, read by a person but not machine-checkable, so not quoted) amends 5.70.060 so that the maximum increase is $20 when 3% would exceed $20. Confirm the current cap with the Bureau of Rent Control. Chapter 5.70.250 sets an expiration date (December 31, 2026 in the codified text); the city's ordinance list includes Ordinance No. 6328 (passed October 13, 2026), titled as extending it to December 31, 2027. That ordinance is a scanned PDF, read by a person but not machine-checkable, so it is not quoted.
Last verified 2026-10-23 · Confidence: medium · Status: verified · Report a correction
File before renting (no eviction allowed while unregistered); amend within 20 days after any change; notify tenants within 7 days of filing an amendment