", "It really feels like they're trying to strong-arm the situation," she added. Thank you! Tenants and landlords could still agree on rent increases in exchange for an extra service or facility (for example, air conditioning or parking). by Hoboken Girl Team February 7, 2022. And I don't want to live month to month. And such increases may run afoul of the city's longstanding 1973 Rent Control Ordinance. It looks like landlords are trying to make up for the money they couldnt charge during the pandemic, or make up for any losses they suffered during the pandemic. You can increase rent once per year. Its their right to do it, but the law provides that it has to be a conscionable rent increase., There it is again the idea of conscionability. if it is later confirmed that we are exempt from rent control, we will then give you the appropriate notice to increase your rent to the market rate. The office staff assists landlords and tenants in understating the impact the Municipal Rent Control Ordinance, Chapter 155, may have on their properties and apartments. ", "I can stay in Hoboken," she said. Landlords can only evict tenants in New Jersey for specific reasons, under state law. Your landlord would need to provide you written notice at least90 days before June1,2023. is taking phone appointments to offer free legal advice for Hoboken tenants related to their tenancy. You can find a community legal aid clinic in your area by contacting Legal Aid Ontario's Client Service Centre by phone at 1-800-668-8258, or by searching their online directory. Therefore: Your landlord could lawfully increase your rent payment12months later, on June1,2023 up to$1,025.00 per month. West Orange. In March 2022, the CPI for rent increases was 4.4%. Find out more here. We appreciate your patience. I currently live in the Artisan here in Hoboken and they decided to raise our rent by $700+ a month which seems unconscionable after a 12% increase last year. Cities across the country, trying to address the economic situation at the time, passed stabilization laws making sure once a tenant or family was situated, a landlord couldn't raise their rent beyond the cost of living adjustment (usually 2 to 7.5 percent). is taking phone appointments to offer free legal advice for Hoboken tenants related to their tenancy. Hoboken has a longstanding (and dark) history of tenants being forced out of town and even burned out of their buildings in suspicious fires in the 1970s and 1980s as the city became more desirable to young Manhattan commuters. The measure up for a vote in Hoboken on Wednesday night applies only to the units currently under rent control. If its month-to-month? However, any municipality within the . How Much Can You Raise Rent in New Jersey? [2023 Guide] It seems straightforward enough. The ordinance, which went into . We were able to lower your offer down to $3528 for a 12 month lease.". Tenants should prepare a brief summary of the issue and contact Sonia Claudino at 201-590-2728 or sclaudino@sobelhan.com for an appointment with Mr. Sobel. (see exceptions below) A landlord must give a tenant at least 90 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect. Our lease renewal came out last week and they want to increase our 1 bed/1bath rent from $2,450 to $2,983. Changes To Rent Control Up For Vote By Hoboken Council Wednesday - MSN Landlords might want to keep records, such as: If there is a dispute aboutnew units in existing houses, the landlord must prove that the new unit was completed after November15,2018. HOBOKEN, NJ Tenants of at least two large apartment complexes in Hoboken this week said their landlords tried to give them rent increases of 20 percent or more despite the fact that. Email hello@hobokengirl.com with any story updates, edits, or fixes. Annual Property Registration for all property owners of a single family, condominium, multiple dwelling units, and or mixed-use buildings is now available online via the SDL Portal. ", Chris said, "I love living in Hoboken [but] I don't have millions of dollars in a bank account.". Office of Rent Leveling and Stabilization Both owners and tenants can call. But lately (lets be honest, for the last decade or more but especially in the last year), weve been hearing from The Hoboken Girl readers who are struggling with the cost of living in the area specifically because of the increasing cost of housing. Its worth a call here to understand more about what, if any, relationship the buildings ownership has with the city. There is no statewide limit or cap on the amount of a rent increase, but it must be reasonable. The Hoboken City Council plans to address increases for rent-controlled units at its meeting on Wednesday night. It is the judges determination. He went on to point out that the courts are incredibly backed up right now, so if a tenant were to pursue legal action against a landlord, it could be some time before the matter is heard. For more information on rent control laws throughout New Jersey based on municipality, see: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards - Landlord-Tenant Information Service. Jersey City. PDF New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards We can help tenants with how to approach that type of conversation and other resources. However, he noted that sometimes the only option is to move out of the unit. The man said that he accepted the new rate, which he thought was still high, at 8.3 percent. Property owners can register their property at www.hobokennj.gov/SDL by creating an account. A mother with two kids in the public schools said Wednesday that the Rivington tried to increase her rent from $3,009 to $4,028 starting this coming September an increase of around 34 percent. He said his landlords responded, "The Rivington is not subject to any form of rent control and operates on a market-based value. "Luxury Building" Massive Rent Increase : r/Hoboken - Reddit Another tenant in a different building is considering signing a lease for a second year, and the increase from Year 1 to Year 2 was 29%. Its worth a call here to understand more about what, if any. To find out more about rent control exemptions in New Jersey, read: Applicability of municipal rent control ordinances, N.J. Stat. The title refers to landlords pushing tenants out so they can sell their buildings empty to investors. HOBOKEN, NJ Over the last year, the nine members of the Hoboken City Council have tried to tighten aspects of the city's 50-year-old Rent Control Ordinance. These slots book up quickly. Scan this QR code to download the app now. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 2A:42-84.2. Residents should email bevans@sobelhan.com or . Landlords are also limited to raising the rent to once every 12 months. Save time and grow your business with DoorLoops property management software. For more information, click here. Another tenant contacted Patch last week saying he'd protested his 19 percent increase this year after talking to the Hoboken Rent Control Office. An ordinance on the City Council agenda for first reading Wednesday would lower the maximum annual rent increase in rent-controlled units from 7.5% to 4%. In Jersey City and Hoboken, rent control ordinances apply to. Hoboken's Rent Control Ordinance, which has evolved since it went into effect in 1973, basically limits annual rent increases to the Cost of Living Adjustment and allows landlords to pass along . We are currently working through the legal process to clarify this situation.". My office can help tenants see what other alternatives are out there. As is always the case, some property types are exempt from rent control laws, that includes both the state and municipality level. The preamble to Hoboken's 1973 ordinance, which gives the justification for the legal action, states: "The City of Hoboken has determined that a critical shortage of housing space exists in the City of Hoboken and therefore, hereby declare[s] that an emergency exists within the City of Hoboken with respect to the rental of housing space by reason of such shortages. Email Hoboken Patch here or comment below. "In response to your inquiry, The Rivington has been, since its construction in 1999, operated as exempt from the city of Hoboken's rent control ordinance," wrote Marty McKenna, first vice president of investor and public relations at Equity Residential, in a statement. Typically local rent control limits rent increases to between 2-6%, though it all depends on the area. This is incredibly frustrating, she said. . We will contact you within 24 hours guaranteed. Hoboken City Council seeks to help renters during COVID-19 She said she felt the landlords were trying to "strong-arm" people into signing in a hurry. It has never been this high, even during Covid when vacancies were higher, she said. CPI or 5% (whichever is lower) Newark. Second, what was most controversial was not the proposal to lower the maximum allowable rate of rent increase, but the vacancy decontrol provision. Rally participants say about 200 residents are planning to stop paying as of May 1st. The Hoboken Girl has reached out to the Mayor and City Council for comment and has not heard back at this time of publication. Are you a Hoboken Business Owner Who Hires, Leads or Collaborates With Highly Creative People? Your landlord would need to provide you written notice at least 90 days before June 1, 2023. I do stress about itthey're trying to make Hoboken a family friendly town, but how can it stay family friendly? She did say that the landlords came down when she asked for a compromise, but that it wasn't enough. HOBOKEN During a period of the highest inflation in four decades, tenants in rent-controlled units may soon see reforms that could help contain their monthly payments. This week, a tenant of 801 Madison St., a luxury building on the west side of town, told Patch that his neighbors have been dealing with a similar situation to those at the Rivington this year. The chart below illustrates yearly rent increases, in Ontario, from1991 to2023. However, cities and counties can enforce their own rent control laws which must be followed if you own a property in one of these areas.. The final resolution was to lower the maximum allowable rate of rent increase, but to leave the vacancy decontrol provision alone, he said. Rental Market : Hoboken - Reddit It looks like landlords are trying to make up for the money they couldnt charge during the pandemic, or make up for any losses they suffered during the pandemic. Tenants who are unsure can contact the city's tenant advocate (linked at the end of this story). Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken are pleased to offer free legal services for Hoboken tenants. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. For more information, click here. No spam, promise. For any SDL related questions, please email sdlrc@hobokennj.gov. Email hello@hobokengirl.com with any story updates, edits, or fixes. See More: A Guide to Luxury Apartment Rentals in Essex County Part I, In 2022, The Hoboken Girl spoke with Andrew Sobel, Hobokens Tenant Advocate. You can watch the council meeting live on Facebook here. The Rivington responded to questions from Patch on Wednesday by acknowledging that they are attempting to clarify the rent control situation. Limit To Rent Increases On Hoboken Council Agenda: Who It Applies To The mayor has, literally, shut down administration of our rent control laws and all rent board meetings (since October 2022) until passage of the amended law. Landlords are. Thus, increases of 20 percent or more have been substantial, leading existing tenants to ask questions which resulted in rulings from Hoboken's Rent Leveling Board. Once your property claim has been accepted and approved, you can register your property from the requests tab in the upper left corner. The Madison Street tenant who contacted Patch said that his landlord tried to raise his own rent by $500 a month this year. Under normal circumstances, rent increases are capped by a rent increase guideline. According to Patch, the building was subject to rent control, despite issuing rent increases of 20 to 30%. Buildings like the Rivington typically charge tenants $3,000 or more per unit. The Tenant Advocate is an attorney retained by the city, to whom residents can go with legal questions about housing matters. Are you a Hoboken Business Owner Who Hires, Leads or Collaborates With Highly Creative People? The 801 Madison St. tenant said that he believes new building owners in Hoboken not small landlords but Wall Street companies may not be familiar enough with local rent control laws. A tenant who decided in 2021 to move out of the Rivington said his landlords had told him in November they were raising his rent from $2,800 to $3,600 a month. HOBOKEN During a period of the highest inflation in four decades, tenants in rent-controlled units may soon see reforms that could help contain their monthly payments. The Hoboken Girl LLC. Evictions are also prohibited in the State of New Jersey throughout the duration of the State of Emergency in New Jersey due to an executive order signed by Governor Phil Murphy. The city did not return a request for comment by this writing, but the story will be updated when they do. Residents can make an appointment to speak with Hobokens tenant advocate. Social media platforms and group chats all over Hoboken have been lit up with hard conversations and shocking revelations about landlords increasing rents. The City of Hoboken offers free legal counsel on housing matters to renters in need through Tenant Advocate Andrew Sobel, Esq. A February 2023 change to Hobokens rent laws drew attention for two reasons. Residents worked with the Hoboken Rent Leveling Office to confirm the rent control provisions that they were entitled to.