By Thomas S. Garlick of Genova Burns LLC
On Nov. 8, 2021, New Jersey enacted N.J.S.A. 55:13A-7.19, setting forth new requirements for landlords of multifamily dwellings. The law was designed to supplement the existing Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law (N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq.), which is enforced by the Department of Community Affairs’ (“DCA”) Bureau of Housing Inspection. Under the new law, landlords of multifamily dwellings must provide tenants and prospective tenants with specific information regarding emergency contact instructions and how to contact social services for assistance.
In a conspicuous location within the building, landlords must post emergency contact instructions and the name, address and telephone number of a representative of the property owner or management company who can be contacted in the event of an emergency at the property or in any dwelling unit therein. These new requirements closely follow the requirements of the previously enacted New Jersey Landlord Identity Law (N.J.S.A. 46:8-27 et. seq.). A conspicuous area is one that will be easily found and viewed by the tenants, such as an entryway or a common area.
Landlords must also post instructions on how to access and utilize the comprehensive social services information toll-free telephone hotline, more commonly referred to as New Jersey 2-1-1, which can be reached by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-877-652-1148, or on their website at www.nj211.org. To find ready-made, printable flyers containing New Jersey 2-1-1’s contact information, landlords can visit https://www.nj211.org/fact-sheets-and-documents.
In addition to being posted in the building, both the emergency contact instructions and 2-1-1’s contact information must be included on the website for any management company that operates the property. It would be best to have such information easily accessible either on the company’s homepage or on a separate page that can be quickly and easily found from the homepage.
The new law also requires that landlords include additional information in their leases. Specifically, in bold-faced, conspicuous font, the website address for the management company (if applicable) and the contact information for New Jersey 2-1-1 must be included in all lease agreements.
It is also important to note that the information posted in the building and online, as well as that included in leases, must be in both English and Spanish.
Given that these changes parallel similar requirements of the separate New Jersey Landlord Identity Law, it would also be a good time for landlords to verify that their properties have been correctly registered with the municipality and DCA pursuant to the Landlord Identity Law. The new law became effective Feb. 1, 2022 and will likely be reviewed by the DCA at the property’s next five-year cyclical inspection.
Thomas S. Garlick is an Associate specializing in Commercial Real Estate & Redevelopment law and Land Use & Approvals law. He has experience representing property owners and developers before land use boards and governmental agencies, guiding clients through all stages of real estate transactions, drafting leases and litigating landlord/tenant disputes, and has represented both municipal governing bodies and land use boards in New Jersey.
