This bill aims to protect senior citizen tenants residing in public housing from incurring late penalties on their rent payments when they are unable to pay due to hospitalization. Specifically, it mandates that landlords waive any late charges for tenants who provide written proof of their admission to a health care facility, covering the duration of their hospitalization and an additional grace period of five business days following their discharge. If the tenant fails to remit payment within this grace period, the landlord may impose late charges. However, the grace period will not apply if the tenant is admitted to another health care facility immediately after discharge without returning to their rental unit.

Additionally, the bill introduces a fine structure for landlords who violate these provisions, with penalties escalating from $100 for a first offense to $500 for subsequent offenses. The enforcement of these penalties will be managed by the Attorney General through summary proceedings. The bill also clarifies the definition of "senior citizen" to include individuals aged 62 and older, as well as surviving spouses aged 55 and older. Furthermore, it amends existing law to specify that certain protections apply only to senior citizens receiving specific government pensions or benefits.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:42-6.3