Where the preceding tenant has vacated or been evicted the landlord may raise the rent by up to 20% of the base rent received for the previous twelve months, for the first year only, and that is deemed the maximum annual increase allowable on the base rent.
20% once is not a reset to market: a unit 40% below market needs two turnovers and two years, which is a different acquisition from the one a decontrol assumption produces. One vacancy increase per apartment per twelve months, and the landlord must file a statement that the vacancy was voluntary or lawful and not the result of harassment.
- Vacancy decontrol
- No
Sources
- Elizabeth City Code §5.70.080 — Vacancy 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.The survey records this as "Vacancy Decontrol with a maximum increase of 20%".