Eatontown rent control: maximum rent increase (2026)
Monmouth County — Chapter 256, Article II, Rent Control. Full ordinance text ↗
Summary
- Cap formula
- The percentage increase in the CPI (NY-East-NJ region, all urban consumers) between the index published 4 months before lease expiration and the index published 16 months before lease expiration, applied to the current rent; no more than one increase per housing space per year.
- Frequency
- once per year per housing space (unless the unit is decontrolled by a vacancy)
- Notice required
- 60 days — Landlord must give written notice at least 60 days before any increase takes effect, including the CPI figures and calculations, the allowable percentage increase, the previous year's base rent, and a certification of substantial compliance with municipal codes; tenants must receive the notice in duplicate and cannot be required to sign lease documents until they have had 5 business days to review them. Failure to give proper 60-day notice means the rent stays at the old rate until proper notice is given.
- Who's covered
- Housing spaces/dwellings with 1 or more units
- Exemptions
- Motels, hotels
- Commercial buildings
- Owner-occupied housing structures with 2 units or fewer
- First-time rentals (until re-rented)
- new construction (30 yrs from certificate of occupancy, N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2)
- Vacancy decontrol
- Any housing space, dwelling, apartment or mobile home that is presently vacant, or that becomes vacant during or at the end of any lease term, is permanently decontrolled, allowing the landlord to set the rent at market rate; once decontrolled, the unit loses rent control protection permanently.
- Registration
- Landlords must annually provide the Borough Housing Officer, by January 1, with the address or other identifying information of all rent-controlled units.
- Surcharges
- Hardship increases available through the Rent Leveling Board where a landlord cannot achieve a net operating income of at least 40% of gross annual income after deducting reasonable and necessary operating expenses (excludes mortgage principal/interest, depreciation, and amortization); a hardship increase replaces, rather than supplements, the annual CPI increase, and is prorated equally to all units in the structure. Capital-improvement surcharges may not exceed 15% of the tenant's rent and may be collected in equal monthly payments over the improvement's useful life.
- Penalties
- Failure to properly report required unit information carries fines up to $2,000 per day; any rent increase in excess of what is authorized by the chapter is void.
- Status
- active
- Confidence
- high
- Last verified
- 2026-09-23
Calculate your maximum increase
Ordinance text
Upon proper notice at the expiration of a lease or periodic tenancy, no landlord may request or receive an increase greater than the percentage increase, if any, in the Price Index published in the fourth month prior to the month in which the lease or periodic tenancy terminates over the Price Index published in the sixteenth month prior to the month of termination.Chapter 256, Article II, Rent Control — https://ecode360.com/7640755
State survey entry
- Increase limit
- No greater than the percentage increase in the CPI of the NY - East - NJ region published in the 4th month prior to lease expiration over the CPI published in the 16th month prior. Hardship or capital improvement increases may be approved by the Rent Board, but capital improvement increases shall not exceed 15% of tenant's rent.
- Units covered
- 1+
- Exceptions
- Exception(s) - Motels, Hotels, commercial buildings, owner-occupied housing structures with 2 units or fewer, and first-time rentals (until re-rented).
Vacancy Decontrol (permanent).
Source: NJ Department of Community Affairs, 2026 Rent Control Survey — nj.gov
Rent board
Rent Leveling Board · (732) 389-7600 · https://www.eatontownnj.com/
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