Sea Bright rent control: no local ordinance (2026)

Monmouth County — no local rent control ordinance on file.

What this means for a rent increase

New Jersey has no statewide cap on rent increases. Without a local rent-control ordinance, Sea Bright has no percentage cap either — but a rent increase still isn't unlimited:

• Unconscionable-increase standard: for units covered by the Anti-Eviction Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1 et seq.), a court can strike down an increase so large it would "shock the conscience of a fair and honest person" (Fromet Properties, Inc. v. Buel, 294 N.J. Super. 601 (App. Div. 1996)), weighing the size of the increase, the landlord's expenses, comparable-area rents, and the parties' relative bargaining position. The landlord bears the burden of proving the increase is not unconscionable.
• Owner-occupied, 2 or fewer rental units: the Anti-Eviction Act's notice-to-quit/unconscionability mechanics don't apply the same way to an owner-occupied building with 2 or fewer rental units — a different, less protective notice-period scheme governs instead (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1's opening clause).
• Notice required: a rent increase must terminate the current tenancy and offer a new one at the higher rent, with at least one full month's notice before the increase takes effect (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(f), 2A:18-61.2) — delivered by personal delivery, by leaving a copy at the tenant's usual place of abode with a household member age 14 or older, or by certified mail (regular mail to follow if unclaimed). It can't take effect mid-term on a fixed-term lease.
• New construction is separately exempt from any local rent control for 30 years from the certificate of occupancy (N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2) — moot here since there's no local ordinance to be exempt from, but relevant if Sea Bright adopts one later.
• Pending bills, not law: statewide rent-cap and unconscionability-codifying bills (e.g. S452/A751, A5432) remain pending in the Legislature as of September 2026 — none is currently enacted.

Checklist for raising rent in Sea Bright

1. Confirm the unit isn't in an owner-occupied building with 2 or fewer rental units — those fall under a different, less protective notice-period scheme instead of the rules below.
2. Set the new rent. There's no percentage cap here, but it must not be "unconscionable" under Fromet Properties, Inc. v. Buel — be ready to justify it against your costs and comparable rents nearby; the burden is on the landlord.
3. Write a notice that terminates the current tenancy and offers a new one at the higher rent — a notice that just states a new number doesn't fit the statutory structure.
4. Give at least one full month's notice before the increase takes effect (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(f), 2A:18-61.2), and never mid-term on a fixed-term lease.
5. Deliver it by personal delivery, by leaving a copy with a household member age 14 or older, or by certified mail (regular mail to follow if unclaimed).
6. If the unit was built before 1978, confirm its lead-safe certificate (method: visual assessment here) is current before or at the next turnover.

Monmouth County towns that do have rent control

9 of 53 municipalities in Monmouth County currently have a local rent control ordinance on file:

• Asbury Park — The base annual increase is the greater of 3.5% or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (measured over a 15-month period ending 3 months before the increase); a successful landlord fair-return/hardship appeal can raise the total annual increase to as much as 20%.
• Atlantic Highlands — The increase equals the CPI change measured from 16 months to 4 months before the lease terminates, with a floor of 1.5% and a ceiling of 3%; tax pass-throughs may be added when real estate taxes rise beyond the permitted percentage.
• Eatontown — 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.
• Freehold — The automatic increase equals a percentage of the CPI change measured between the 4th month before the new lease begins and the 4th month before the prior lease began: up to 90% of that change if the landlord supplies and pays for heat, or up to 80% if the tenant pays for heat; no more than one such increase per year.
• Howell — Annual increase may not exceed 5% of the previous twelve-month base rent, subject to Board approval after a hearing; the landlord may also pass through increased utility, space, and license-fee costs.
• Marlboro — the percentage increase in CPI for the NY–Northwest NJ region over the 12 months ending 120 days before the increase date, capped at 5% annually
• Neptune — Upon proper notice, the increase may not exceed the percentage change in the regional CPI between the figure published in the 16th month before termination and the figure published in the 4th month before termination; the resulting rent may be rounded to the nearest dollar.
• Red Bank — The increase is tied to the change in the CPI-U for the Northern NJ/NY/Long Island area, measured 4 months prior to the expiring lease's commencement versus 4 months prior to its expiration (exact CPI share/percentage of the index allowed could not be confirmed from the ordinance text; see open_questions).
• Shrewsbury — the percentage increase in the regional CPI-U, comparing the index for the 4th month before lease termination to the index for the 16th month before termination