Rent control in Hoboken, NJ

2 rules apply — the local one first, then the county and state rules that bind alongside it.

Research, not legal advice

These summaries are compiled from ordinance text and public sources and are dated at the point they were last checked. Rules change between checks — Newark replaced its whole registration regime in a single month — so confirm anything you are about to underwrite against the primary source or the municipal office named in the citation.

Every unit count, capped at the lesser of CPI or 5%

Hobokenhigh confidence

Verified on 2026-08-18 — 40 days ago.

Hoboken permits no increase greater than 5% or the change in the CPI over the lease term, whichever is less. Chapter 155 defines a dwelling as any building rented to one or more tenants or family units, and its exemption list contains no unit count and no owner-occupancy exemption.

The widely repeated claim that Hoboken covers only buildings of four or more units, and exempts owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer, is not in the ordinance — §155-1 defines a dwelling as one rented to "one or more tenants or family units" and §155-2 lists eight exemptions, none of which is a unit count or owner occupancy. An owner living in their own two-family here is still inside the chapter.

The base rent is what was charged on 1 October 1985, or the first rent charged after that date. A capital-improvement surcharge may not raise a base rent by more than a third in any twelve months.

Exemptions

Motels and hotels.
Newly constructed dwellings, for the first rental only — every rent after it is controlled.
Dwellings constructed after 25 June 1987, per N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.1, for the amortisation period of the initial mortgage or 30 years, whichever is less.
Industrial, non-residential and commercial units.
Housing provided, owned or controlled by an educational institution.
Government-owned and operated housing.
Buildings vacant since 1 January 1984.
A completely vacant and deteriorated building requiring major reconstruction, vacant at least six months, on the Board's preliminary approval and a certificate of major reconstruction.

Annual cap: 5%
Unit counts: 1+ units
Owner-occupied exemption: No

Sources

Hoboken Code Chapter 155 — Rent ControlCurrent codified chapter read through 18 August 2026; §155-4 was amended 22 October 2025 by Ord. B-818 without changing the CPI-or-5% ceiling.
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.
Hoboken Rent Leveling & Stabilization Office — Hoboken Rent Leveling & Stabilization Office, (201) 420-2000 ext. 1721

Rent control is municipal, and roughly 100 towns have it

New Jerseymedium confidence

Verified on 2026-08-01 — 57 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.

Every rule for Hoboken, NJ