Bill Text: NJ S114 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits landlords from requiring rent to be paid by certain means of payment or at any off-site location.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee [S114 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-S114-Introduced.html

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SENATE, No. 114

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  NIA H. GILL

District 34 (Essex and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Prohibits landlords from requiring rent to be paid by certain means of payment or at any off-site location.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  

An Act concerning rent payments by tenants and supplementing chapter 8 of the Title 46 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  A landlord shall not enter into a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement that limits the acceptable method of rent payment to cash, personal check, credit or debit card, or any other specific forms of payment made by, or on behalf of, a tenant.  A landlord shall accept any cash, personal check, or credit or debit card payment made by, or on behalf of, a tenant pursuant to a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement.

     b.    A landlord shall not enter into a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement that requires a tenant to pay rent at any location outside of the premises of the building in which the tenant resides.

     c.     A landlord shall not enter into a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement that imposes any fee on a tenant for the payment of rent:

     (1)   by means of cash, personal check, or credit or debit card payment made by, or on behalf of, the tenant; or

     (2)   at any location inside or outside of the premises of the building in which the tenant resides.

     d.    A landlord who violates any provision of this section shall be a disorderly person.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall be applicable to any residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement executed on or after the date of enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant's rent to be paid by certain means of payment or at any off-site location. 

     Specifically, the bill prohibits a landlord from entering into a residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement that: (1) limits the acceptable methods of rent payment to cash, personal check, credit or debit card, or any other specific forms of payment; or (2) requires the tenant to pay rent at any location outside of the premises of the building in which the tenant resides.  Additionally, the bill requires the landlord to accept any cash, personal check, or credit or debit card payment made by, or on behalf of, a tenant pursuant to residential lease, renewal, or extension agreement.

     The bill also prohibits a landlord from imposing any fee on a residential tenant for the payment of rent: (1) by means of cash, personal check, or credit or debit card payment made by, or on behalf of, the tenant; or (2) at any location inside or outside of the premises of the building in which the tenant resides.

     Any landlord who violates the provisions of this bill would be guilty of a disorderly persons offense, which is punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than six months, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both.