[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
It is hereby found and declared that it is desirable for the
administration of laws, ordinances and regulations related to housing
that there be established and maintained a registry of rental dwellings
in the municipality, in that such registry will identify accommodations
that are subject to the provisions of such laws, ordinances and regulations,
and in that it will also aid in the master planning and zoning of
the municipality by providing an inventory of rental accommodations,
which are needed for the achievement of a balanced residential community.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
Every building or part thereof that is rented or held for rent
for human habitation shall be registered by the owner with the rental
housing coordinator prior to the issuance of a certificate required
by Section 16-7 of this Code, and every two years thereafter.
(a)
A certificate of registration issued by the State Commissioner of
the Department of Community Affairs for rooming and/or boarding homes
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 55:13B- 1 et seq. shall be deemed to satisfy
the requirements of this section.
(b)
A certificate of registration issued by the State Commissioner of
the Department of Community Affairs for multiple family dwellings
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 46:8-28 and N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq. shall be
deemed to satisfy the requirements of this section.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
If premises that have been registered pursuant to this article
thereafter cease to be so rented and also cease to be held for rent,
the owner shall file notice of such change of status with the rental
housing coordinator within 30 days thereafter. If premises for which
notice of such change of status has been filed shall again be so rented
or held for rent, the same shall again be registered by the owner
with the rental housing coordinator and shall be subject to periodic
reregistration in accordance with Section 16-23.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
All rented dwelling units shall be subject to registration as
provided herein, except the following dwelling units:
(a)
Any units owned or operated by a governmental authority as part of
a duly authorized public housing project;
(b)
Any units, the rent of which is controlled by any government authority
that provides financial or refinancing assistance in the acquisition,
construction and maintenance thereof.
(c)
Any unit where the relationship between the landlord and tenant is
that of educational institution and students therein and where the
rental of the unit is customarily restricted to such students.
(d)
Any unit in a hotel or motel.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
Registration and notice of change of status shall be made upon
forms furnished by the rental housing coordinator. Such forms shall
include, but not be limited to, the address of the premises, the name
and address of the owner, the name and address of the agent in charge
of the premises if other than the owner or if the owner lives more
than 20 miles from the intersection of Nassau and Witherspoon Streets
in Princeton, the name and address of the tenant(s), the number of
rental units and the number of occupants in each and description of
the premises and of the service furnished in connection therewith,
and the rents and other amounts charged monthly for occupancy of each
unit in the premises, and any additional information the rental housing
coordinator shall deem necessary. It shall be a violation of this
article for a person to knowingly provide false information on any
form submitted to the rental housing coordinator pursuant to this
article.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
The rental housing coordinator may survey all property owners
for compliance with the requirements contained herein at not less
than six year intervals for the purposes of updating the municipal
records.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
Every landlord shall provide written notification to each of
the landlord's tenants upon the event that a rental dwelling that
is the subject of a lease has been determined to:
(a)
Be located in a flood zone or flood area pursuant to N.J.S.A. 46:8-50;
or
(b)
The rental that is the subject of the lease has sustained flood damage
requiring repairs for which construction permits have been issued
by the Construction Official; or
(c)
Either the landlord or prior tenants have filed for and received
flood damage payments through the National Flood Insurance Program
("NFIP"); or
(d)
The landlord has elected to have the rental dwelling participate
in a Mitigation Grant Program through the New Jersey Office of Emergency
Management ("NJOEM") for Federal Emergency Management Administration
("FEMA") grant funding for the sale of the rental dwelling property
due to repetitive and severe flooding.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
The position of rental housing coordinator is hereby created
by this article. The rental housing coordinator shall be an employee
of Princeton. The rental housing coordinator shall perform such duties
as may be assigned herein or by delegation from the public officer.
The daily activities of the coordinator shall be supervised by and
subject to the direction of the public officer in conformance with
policies established by Mayor and Council, pursuant to law.
The coordinator's duties shall include but not be limited to:
(a)
Keeping records on all dwelling units subject to the requirements
of this article.
(b)
Informing tenants and landlords of the provisions and requirements
of this article, including any rights of appeal.
(c)
Informing tenants and landlords of the provisions and requirements
of other state and municipal laws affecting rental housing, including
procedures affecting notices to quit and condominium conversions.
(d)
Informing tenants of their rights under New Jersey law, including
the right to deduct sums of money from their rent in order to make
necessary repairs so that their dwelling units may be deemed habitable
and livable.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
The following regulations shall apply to notices, service, hearings
and decision under this article:
(a)
Whenever a notice is required to be served, given, or furnished,
it shall be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, to
each person to be notified at such person's last known address or
it shall be served personally upon such person. If it cannot be delivered
by either of the foregoing methods, it shall be posted in a conspicuous
place upon the affected dwelling unit or premises.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
No arrangement between a landlord and tenant purporting to waive
any provision of this article shall be of any force or effect and
all such arrangements are declared to be void as against public policy.
[Ord. No. 2013-17; Ord. No. 2015-46]
Any person who violates this article or any other order of the
rental housing coordinator pursuant to this article shall be subject
to the penalties set forth in Section 1-6 of the Code of Princeton.
A repeat offender as that term is defined in Section 1-6 of said Code
shall be subject to the penalties in that section. Failing to register
a unit, knowingly providing false information on any form submitted
to the rental housing coordinator, or accepting any installment of
rent while a unit remains unregistered or without a registered change
of tenant, shall each be deemed a separate violation of this article.
Violations affecting more than one dwelling unit shall be considered
separate violations for each dwelling unit affected. The public officer,
rental housing coordinator, or any tenant or occupant affected by
a landlord or owner violating any provision of this article, may prosecute
any violation of this article by commencement or proceedings in a
court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing herein shall limit the right
of any interested party to file suit for restitution of any unlawful
collection of rent in violation of this article.
