This bill mandates that residential landlords must accept rent payments made by tenants or prospective tenants through various methods, including cash, certified checks, money orders, personal checks, or payments made via federal, state, or local rental assistance programs and bona fide charitable organizations. The bill specifies that landlords cannot require tenants to use electronic funds transfer systems for rent payments and must accept payments made on time or within a specified period before eviction proceedings begin.

To enforce compliance, the bill establishes a penalty of $2,000 for each violation, which can be pursued through summary proceedings by the Commissioner of Community Affairs or the Attorney General. Additionally, tenants have the option to file a separate cause of action against landlords for violations, allowing them to recover the same penalty along with reasonable legal fees and other related expenses. The bill also stipulates that if a personal check is returned due to insufficient funds, the tenant is responsible for any associated fees, and landlords may subsequently prohibit future rent payments by personal check from that tenant.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 46:8-49.1