The Landlord Registration and Tenant Protection Act aims to enhance the landlord registration process and improve tenant protections. It requires landlords to file a certificate of registration within seven days of acquiring a rental property, which must include detailed information about the landlord, property management, and emergency contacts. This information must be accessible to tenants, and landlords are mandated to provide tenants with a copy of the registration certificate and display it in common areas. The bill also updates the definition of "landlord" to include various residential property types while excluding certain cooperative corporations unless they rent to non-shareholders.

Additionally, the bill introduces stricter inspection protocols, requiring the Commissioner of Community Affairs to notify landlords of significant violations within 48 hours and specify a timeframe for corrections. Significant violations are defined as conditions that threaten tenant health or safety. The legislation modifies penalties for non-compliance, reducing the first offense penalty to $100 while increasing penalties for subsequent offenses. It also allows municipalities to meet a portion of their affordable housing obligations through the rehabilitation of substandard units for low-income rentals and repeals outdated legal language to streamline the registration process.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 46:8-27, 46:8-28, 46:8-28.1, 46:8-28.2, 46:8-28.3, 46:8-29, 46:8-31, 46:8-32, 46:8-33, 46:8-35, 55:13A-16