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How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Elizabeth?
Short answer
At a glance: 30 days
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)
Notice: 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.
"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
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