Rent control in Elizabeth, NJ
2 rules apply — the local one first, then the county and state rules that bind alongside it.
Verified on 2026-08-18 — 43 days ago.
Elizabeth permits no increase in base rent above 3% over the base rent received for the previous twelve months, once in any twelve-month period. Chapter 5.70 exempts housing units of two or fewer, and three- and four-unit buildings where the owner occupies one — so five or more units are covered regardless.
One- and two-unit housing is exempt outright; a three- or four-unit building is exempt only where the owner occupies one of the units; five or more units are covered whoever lives there. So the same four-family is inside or outside the ordinance depending on where the owner sleeps.
The fact to diary: §5.70.250 sunsets the chapter on 31 December 2026 unless the governing body extends it, which it has done roughly every two years since 2000. A report dated near that boundary should not assume either outcome. The city's own January 2026 registration notice confirms the 3% and states that registration is required of all non-owner-occupied properties built before 1996 with three or more residential units.
Exemptions
- Housing units of two or fewer.
- Three- and four-unit housing where the owner occupies a unit.
- Motels, hotels, rooming houses and similar buildings.
- New construction, for the period allowed by N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2 — the ordinance states no duration of its own and defers to the statute.
- A vacant building or unit that has been substantially rehabilitated (improvements above 40% of assessed value), decontrolled for one year from completion, on advance application and verification by the construction official.
- Annual cap
- 3%
- Vacancy decontrol
- No
- Unit counts
- 3+ units
- Owner-occupied exemption
- Yes
Sources
- Elizabeth City Code Chapter 5.70 — Rent Control and StabilizationRead directly. §5.70.010 is the coverage definition, §5.70.060 the cap, §5.70.080 the vacancy increase, §5.70.250 the sunset.
- Elizabeth Bureau of Rent Control — January 2026 registration noticeThe city's own notice, independently stating the 3% allowable increase.
- NJ DCA — 2026 Rent Control Survey — New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, 2026 Rent Control Survey (spreadsheet, linked from the DCA Landlord-Tenant Information page; last revised 20 May 2026). The department's own caveat: the survey is only as current as the published codes, and the stated percentage may differ from the increase actually permitted.
- Elizabeth Fair Rental Housing Board — Elizabeth Fair Rental Housing Board, (908) 820-4181
Verified on 2026-08-01 — 60 days ago.
New Jersey has no statewide rent control. Roughly 100 municipalities impose their own, with caps, exemptions and vacancy rules that differ town by town.
This municipality has not been researched. Read the municipal code — or call the clerk — before assuming rents can be reset on purchase or turnover.
Sources
- NJ Department of Community Affairs — Landlord/Tenant InformationRent control ordinances are published by each municipality, not by the state.