P.L. 2021, c. 188

The record

Jurisdiction

New Jersey

Level

State

Authority

N.J. Const. art. IV; N.J.S.A. 52:27D-287.7 et seq.

Issued

2021-08-04 Aug. 4, 2021

Effective

2021-08-04

End

Protections for arrears through Aug. 31, 2021 (all tiers up to middle income) and through Dec. 31, 2021 (very low- to moderate-income with certification); civil-debt and credit-reporting provisions continuing (read as 2021-08-31)

In force

Aug. 4, 2021 to Aug. 31, 2021

Quarters

2021 Q3

2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3

Limitation types

Courts and public officesOther

Addressees

• landlords
• residential tenants of very low-, low-, moderate- and middle-income households
• the Superior Court (Special Civil Part)
• credit reporting agencies

Functions reached

• PM property management (nonpayment evictions barred for covered-period arrears; pending actions dismissed)
• SV collections (arrears converted to civil debt; credit reporting limited)
• CL landlord-tenant litigation channelled to the Special Civil Part
• CB tenants

Collection

New Jersey NJ

Operative words

C.52:27D-287.8: "'Covered period' means the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on August 31, 2021." C.52:27D-287.9(a): "Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no residential tenant of a very low-income household, low-income household, moderate-income household, or middle-income household shall be evicted based upon nonpayment or habitual late payment of rent, or failure to pay a rent increase, that accrued during the covered period." (b): rent due during the covered period "shall be considered civil debt and may be pursued as a money judgment". (d)(1)(a): very low-, low- and moderate-income households "shall have continued protections from evictions... for residential rent arrearages incurred from the end of the covered period through December 31, 2021 if the household certifies under penalty of perjury" [income; inability to pay due to COVID-19; application for assistance]. (e): "All pending eviction actions alleging nonpayment or habitual late payment of residential rent, or failure to pay a rent increase, that accrued during the covered period shall be dismissed upon certification by the tenant".

Enforcement

Notes