Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits landlords from using certain living situations as cause for eviction of residential tenants.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act prohibiting eviction of residential tenants for certain cause and supplementing Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Family member" means a spouse, partner in a civil union, adult or minor child, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin, grandparent, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, or half-sister, whether the individual is related by blood, marriage or civil union, or adoption.
"Housing insecure family member" means a family member of a tenant whose removal from the tenant’s housing unit may result in the inability of the family member or the tenant, or both, to obtain stable occupancy of a decent, safe, and affordable housing unit.
b. If a tenant allows a housing insecure family member to reside with the tenant in a leased residential property, a landlord shall not construe this action as a violation of subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.1974, c.49 (C.2A:18-61.1), or otherwise construe this living situation as a cause for the eviction of the tenant, the housing insecure family member, or both.
2. The Commissioner of Community Affairs may adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits a landlord from using certain living situations as a cause for eviction of residential tenants. Specifically, if a tenant allows a housing insecure family member, as defined in the bill, to reside with them in a leased residential property, a landlord cannot construe this action as a violation of subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.1974, c.49 (C.2A:18-61.1), or otherwise construe this living situation as a cause for the eviction of the tenant, the housing insecure family member, or both.
The bill authorizes the Commissioner of Community Affairs to adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of the bill.