[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Riverside 12-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-14; amended in its entirety 4-18-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-06. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
Unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, the following words or phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meaning:
AGENT
The individual or individuals designated by the owner as the person(s) authorized by the owner to perform any duty imposed upon the owner by this chapter. The term does not necessarily mean a licensed real estate broker or salesman of the State of New Jersey as those terms are defined by N.J.S.A. 45:15-3; however, such term may include a licensed real estate broker or salesman of the State of New Jersey, if such person designated by the owner as his agent is so licensed.
APARTMENT or DWELLING
Any residence, apartment, cottage, bungalow, any room or rooms in a rooming house/boardinghouse or other dwelling unit consisting of one or more rooms occupying all or part of a floor or floors in a building, whether designed with or without housekeeping facilities for dwelling purposes.
INSPECTION APPROVAL
An inspection performed by such person, persons or agency duly authorized and appointed by the Township of Riverside for the purpose of determining compliance with Chapter 255, Land Development, Chapter 330, Property Maintenance, and Chapter 244, Housing Code. When such an inspection is conducted and no violations are found, the rental unit shall be considered approved.
OWNER
Any person or group of persons, firm, corporation, or officer thereof, partnership association, or trust which owns, operates, exercises control over or is in charge of a rental facility.
PERSON
An individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust or other legal entity, or any combination thereof.
RENTAL FACILITY
Every building, or a portion thereof, which is kept, used, maintained, advertised or held out to be a place where living accommodations are supplied, whether furnished or unfurnished, for pay or other consideration, to one or more individuals and is meant to include apartments.
RENTAL UNIT
A dwelling unit, which is available for lease or rental purposes and is meant to include individual apartments located within an apartment building containing two or fewer units.
All rental facilities shall hereafter be registered with the Township Clerk or designee of the Township of Riverside or such other person as designated by the Township Committee on forms which shall be provided for that purpose and which shall be obtained from the Township Clerk or designee.
The within act shall not apply and no person, entity or licensee under this act shall be required to register and pay the fees associated herewith for any unit for which a lineal relation is residing in the rental unit. In such cases, the licensee, person or entity allowing the use by such lineal relation shall provide the Township Administrator or designated Code Enforcement Officer with valid proof that the unit is only being used for the purpose of the said lineal relation.
Registration provisions. Each rental unit shall be inspected and registered. The inspection and registration term shall commence on April 1 and shall be valid until March 31 of the following calendar year, at which time it shall expire and a new inspection and registration shall be required. The initial inspection and registration shall occur within 45 days following the adoption of this chapter. Any lease which has been executed prior to the adoption of this chapter shall not be affected, but the rental unit must nevertheless be registered, and inspected in accordance with this chapter. No rental unit shall hereafter be rented unless the rental unit is inspected and registered in accordance with this chapter.
Without in any way intending to infringe upon the requirements of N.J.S.A. 46:8-28, all rental units shall be inspected and registered as provided herein. Every owner shall file with the Township Clerk or designee of the Township of Riverside or such other person as designated by the Township Committee a registration form for each unit contained within a building or structure which shall include the following information:
A. 
The name and address of the record owner or owners of the premises and the record owner or owners of the rental business, if not the same persons. In the case of a partnership, the names and addresses of all general partners shall be provided together with the telephone numbers for each of such individuals indicating where such individual may be reached both during the day and evening hours. If the record owner is a corporation, the name and address of the registered agent and corporate officers of said corporation together with the telephone numbers for each of such individuals indicating where such individual may be reached both during the day and evening hours;
B. 
If the address of any record owner is not located in Riverside Township or in Burlington County, the name and address of a person who resides in Burlington County and who is authorized to accept notices from a tenant and to issue receipts therefor and to accept service of process on behalf of the record owner;
C. 
The name and address of the agent of the premises, if any;
D. 
The name and address, including the dwelling unit number, of the superintendent, janitor, custodian or other individual employed by the owner or agent to provide regular maintenance service, if any;
E. 
The name, address and telephone number of an individual representative of the owner or agent who may be reached or contacted at any time in the event of an emergency affecting the premises or any unit of dwelling space therein, including such emergencies as the future of any essential service or system, and who has the authority to make emergency decisions concerning the building and any repair thereto or expenditure in connection therewith;
F. 
The name and address of every holder of a recorded mortgage on the premises;
G. 
If fuel oil is used to heat the building and the landlord furnishes the heat in the building, the name and address of the fuel oil dealer servicing the building and the grade of fuel oil used.
H. 
As to each rental unit, a specification of the exact number of sleeping rooms contained in the rental unit. In order to satisfy the requirement of this provision, an owner shall submit a floor plan which shall become part of the application and which shall be attached to the registration form when filed by the Township Clerk or designee; and
I. 
Such other information as may be prescribed by the Township.
The Township Clerk or designee shall index and file the registration forms. In doing so, the Township Clerk or designee shall follow the mandates of N.J.S.A. 46:8-28.1, as amended and supplemented, so that the filing of the registration form will simultaneously satisfy the registration requirements of N.J.S.A. 46:8-28 to the extent that it applies to the property being registered and will also satisfy the registration requirements of this chapter.
Every person required to file a registration form pursuant to this chapter shall file an amended registration form within 20 days after any change in the information required to be included thereon. No fee shall be required for the filing of an amendment except where the ownership of the premises is changed.
A. 
Each rental unit shall be inspected at least once every twelve-month period.
B. 
Such inspections shall be performed by such person, persons or agency duly authorized and appointed by the Township of Riverside, and inspections made by persons or an agency other than the duly authorized and appointed person, persons or agency of the Township of Riverside shall not be used as a valid substitute.
C. 
Such inspection shall be for the purpose of determining compliance with the Zoning Ordinance Property Maintenance Code and Housing Code.
D. 
Unsatisfactory inspection. In the event that the inspection(s) of a rental unit indicates the need for maintenance and repairs, such property shall not thereafter be registered and the inspection approved, and the owner of the property, or his agent, shall not lease or rent such property, nor shall any tenant occupy the property, until the necessary maintenance, repairs and corrections have been made so as to bring the property and rental unit into compliance with applicable code(s) and the property is thereafter subsequently reinspected, approved, and registered. In the event that the property is occupied when such conditions are discovered, all such corrections shall be made within 60 days and, if not made within that time period, the owner shall be deemed in violation of this chapter, and every day that the violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct violation, subject to the penalty provisions of § 212-17 of this chapter.
A. 
The inspection officers are hereby authorized to make inspections to determine the condition of licensed rental facilities, rental units and rooming houses/boardinghouses in order that they may promote the purposes of this chapter to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of the occupants of rental facilities, rental units and rooming houses/boardinghouses and of the general public. For the purposes of making such inspections, licensees shall permit the inspecting officers to enter, examine and survey rental facilities, rental units and rooming houses/boardinghouses at all reasonable times. The licensee shall ensure that the occupant of every rental facility, rental unit and rooming house/boardinghouse shall give the inspecting officer free access to the rental facility, rental unit and rooming house/boardinghouse at all reasonable times for the purpose of such inspections, examinations and surveys.
B. 
Within 10 days of receipt of a complaint alleging a reported violation of this chapter, an inspecting officer shall conduct an inspection as hereinbefore provided.
No person shall hereafter occupy any rental unit, nor shall the owner permit occupancy of any rental unit within the Township of Riverside, which is not registered and approved by an inspector in accordance with this chapter.
Every owner shall provide each occupant or tenant occupying a rental unit with a copy of the registration form and registration and inspection certificate required by this chapter. This particular provision shall not apply to any hotel, motel, or guesthouse registered with the State of New Jersey pursuant to the Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Act, as defined in N.J.S.A. 55:13A-3. This provision may be complied with by posting a copy of the registration certificate in a conspicuous place within the rental unit(s).
A. 
The maximum number of occupants shall be posted in each rental unit. It shall be unlawful for any person, including the owner, agent, tenant or registered tenant, to allow a greater number of persons than the posted maximum number of occupants to sleep in or occupy overnight the rental unit for a period exceeding 29 days. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to the penalty provisions of § 212-17 of this chapter.
B. 
Only those occupants whose names are on file with the Township, as required in this chapter, may reside in the licensed premises. It shall be unlawful for any other person to reside in said premises, and any owner, agent, tenant, or registered tenant allowing a nonregistered party to reside in said premises shall be subject to the penalty provisions of § 212-17 of this chapter.
A. 
All dwelling units shall be maintained in accordance with the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code, Fifth Edition, 1996. The provisions of Chapter 1 of said Code shall be superseded by the provisions of § 212-18 hereof.
B. 
No rental facility shall be operated in a manner which shall result in any unreasonable disturbance or disruption to the surrounding properties and property owners or of the public in general such that it shall constitute a "nuisance," as defined in the Code of the Township of Riverside.
The maintenance of all rental facilities and the conduct engaged in upon the premises by occupants and their guests shall at all times be in full compliance with all applicable ordinances and regulations of the Township of Riverside and with all applicable state and federal laws. Any landlord, tenant or other person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to the penalty provisions of § 212-17 of this chapter.
A. 
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction, in the Municipal Court of Riverside or such other court as having competent jurisdiction, be liable for a fine not exceeding $500. Any allegation or violation of this chapter shall result in a special complaint being issued and the matter being scheduled for a hearing in the Riverside Township Municipal Court.
B. 
Notwithstanding any penalty of the within section, any person violating the within section within six months of the date that any registration fee becomes due shall have the option of paying the fine at the Riverside Municipal Clerk's Office, without the necessity of a Court appearance, subject to a violation schedule. To be permitted to pay the fine through the Clerk's Office of Riverside Township, the registration fee on that applicable unit must be paid for the applicable year. The violation schedule shall be set forth as follows:
(1) 
From February 1 of the calendar year that the registration pursuant to § 212-2 is past due through February 28 of that same calendar year the fine shall be payable through the Township Clerk's Office in the amount of $20;
(2) 
From March 1 of the calendar year that the registration pursuant to § 212-2 is past due through March 31 of that same calendar year the fine shall be payable through the Township Clerk's Office in the amount of $40;
(3) 
From April 1 of the calendar year that the registration pursuant to § 212-2 is past due through April 30 of that same calendar year the fine shall be payable through the Township Clerk's Office in the amount of $60;
(4) 
From May 1 of the calendar year that the registration pursuant to § 212-2 is past due through May 31 of that same calendar year the fine shall be payable through the Township Clerk's Office in the amount of $80;
(5) 
From June 1 of the calendar year that the registration pursuant to § 212-2 is past due through June 30 of that same calendar year the fine shall be payable through the Township Clerk's Office in the amount of $100;
(6) 
From July 1 of the calendar year that the registration pursuant to § 212-2 is past due through July 31 of that same calendar year the fine shall be payable through the Township Clerk's Office in the amount of $120;
C. 
Any registration fee for any unit as defined in this section that is not paid by July 31 of the calendar year for which the registration fee is due shall not be subject to the above schedule of violations, and shall be issued a special complaint and the matter shall be scheduled for a hearing in the Riverside Township Municipal Court subject to a fine not to exceed $500 (per violation).