Paterson rent control: maximum rent increase (2026)
Passaic County — Chapter 381, Rent Leveling. Full ordinance text ↗
Summary
- Cap formula
- Standard annual increase up to 5%; reduced to 3.5% for tenants who are heads of household age 65+ or found disabled by the Social Security Administration, with a further-reduced 2.5% rate for qualifying low-income seniors/disabled tenants.
- Frequency
- once per 12 months
- Notice required
- 30 days — Landlord must give at least 30 days' written notice to both the Rent Leveling Administrator and the tenant, detailing the proposed increase amount, percentage, current rent, and history of prior increases.
- Who's covered
- Dwellings with 3 or more units if owner-occupied, or 2 or more units if not owner-occupied
- Exemptions
- state and federally subsidized housing
- buildings in which only 1 unit is rented
- motels, hotels
- multiple dwellings constructed after 12/23/1999 (lesser of 30 years or mortgage-amortization period)
- substantially rehabilitated residential structures (for a specified period)
- units certified under the City's neighborhood preservation/rehabilitation program
- licensed rooming houses
- developments owned/subsidized by HUD, HMFA, or regulated by NJHMFA
- new construction (30 yrs from certificate of occupancy, N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2)
- Vacancy decontrol
- Full vacancy decontrol. Rehabilitated properties removed from the abandoned-property list may set an unrestricted initial rent; landlord must file a vacancy-decontrol certification within 15 days, and decontrol may not be used more than once per 3-year period.
- Registration
- Annual registration of all dwelling units required (or with applications), including unit address, manager/owner information, current rents, services provided, and surcharge status/expiration.
- Surcharges
- Capital-improvement and service-increase surcharges computed by dividing costs by useful life and apportioning by unit benefit; professional fees may account for up to 20% of project costs.
- Penalties
- Illegal rent increases: fines of $100-$1,500, up to 90 days imprisonment, or community service; other willful violations: up to $1,500 fine and/or 90 days imprisonment.
- Status
- active
- Confidence
- high
- Last verified
- 2026-09-23
Calculate your maximum increase
Ordinance text
Every landlord without recourse to the Board or Administrator may annually request of a tenant an increase in rent which shall not be greater than 5%, or 3 1/2% for head of household tenants 65 years of age or older or found to be disabled...Chapter 381, Rent Leveling — https://ecode360.com/8553068
State survey entry
- Increase limit
- 5%, or
3.5% for 65+ year old heads of households or those found to be disabled by the SS Administration.
- Units covered
- 2+
- Exceptions
- Exception(s) - State and federally subsidized housing, buildings in which only 1 unit is rented, motels, hotels, lesser of 30 years and period of amortization of mortgage for multiple dwellings constructed after 12/23/99, substantially rehabilitated residential structures (for a specified period), units certified as part of the City's neighborhood preservation or rehabilitation program, licensed rooming houses, and developments owned or subsidized by HUD, HMFA, or regulated by NJ PHDA.
Vacancy Decontrol.
Source: NJ Department of Community Affairs, 2026 Rent Control Survey — nj.gov
Rent board
Rent Leveling Office · (973) 321-1242 ext- 2285 · https://www.patersonnj.gov/department/board.php?structureid=52
Generate a rent increase notice
Fill in the tenant, unit, and rent details and get a printable, ordinance-cited rent increase notice for Paterson — $9, pay by card.
Generate notice — $9