[Adopted by Ord. No. 1931-07]
No person shall let to another for occupancy any dwelling or
dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply
with the requirements in this article.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
OCCUPANT
Refer to adult occupants 18 years or older.
All sleeping rooms must have access via a common hallway.
All rental units in the Township shall have at least one smoke
detector on each floor level and a carbon monoxide detector within
10 feet of each bedroom. The carbon monoxide detector is not to be
located in a bedroom, but is to be located in the hallway area adjacent
to the bedroom.
[Adopted by Ord. No. 1932-07; amended in its entirety 7-19-2022 by Ord. No. 2428-22]
Unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, the
following words or phrases when used in this article shall have the
following meanings:
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 article. They are defined by N.J.S.A. 45:15-3;
however, such term may include a licensed real estate broker or salesman
if such person designated by the owner as his agent is so licensed.
Term does not necessarily mean a licensed real estate broker or salesman
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 record owner as his
agent's so licensed.
APARTMENT COMPLEX
Two or more buildings, each containing two or more apartments,
which are located within close proximity of each other and are owned
by the same owner.
APARTMENT or DWELLING
Any apartment, cottage, bungalow, single-family dwelling,
any room or rooms in a rooming/boarding house, 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, except that this article shall not
apply to an owner-occupied residential dwelling in which up to two
bedrooms are rented, provided such rooms are not accessed by separate
entrance, not utilized by the other residents of the dwelling. This
definition shall apply notwithstanding whether the apartment be designed
for residence, for office, or the operation of any industry or business,
or for any other type of independent use.
LICENSE
The license issued by the Municipal Clerk attesting that
the rental unit has been properly registered in accordance with this
article and inspected for a certificate of occupancy.
LICENSEE
The person to whom the license is issued pursuant to this
article. The term "licensee" includes within its definition the term
"agent" where applicable.
OWNER
Any person or group of persons, firm, corporation or officer
thereof, partnership, association, or trust, who 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, group of buildings 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 and apartment complexes.
RENTAL UNIT
A dwelling unit which is available for lease or rental purposes
and is meant to include individual apartments located within apartment
complexes.
All rental units shall hereafter be registered with the Lawrence
Township Municipal Clerk on forms which shall be provided for that
purpose and which shall be obtained from the Municipal Clerk's
office. Such registration shall occur on an annual basis as provided
herein.
Without in any way intending to infringe upon the requirements
of N.J.S.A. 46:8-28, all rental units shall be registered and licensed
as provided herein with the Lawrence Township Municipal Clerk. Every
owner shall file with the Municipal Clerk a registration form for
each unit contained within a building or structure which shall include
the following information, but in no case shall a post office box
be accepted in lieu of a street address where an address is required:
A. The name and address, including the dwelling unit number, of each
occupant or tenant occupying the rental unit together with a copy
of the lease for the premises;
B. 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 a 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 individuals 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 the 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;
C. If the address of any record owner is not located in the Township,
or in Mercer County, the name and address of person who resides in
Mercer County and who is authorized to accept notices from a tenant
and to issue receipts therefore and to accept service of process on
behalf of the record owner;
D. The name and address of the agent of the premises, if any;
E. The names and address, including dwelling unit numbers of the superintendent,
janitor, custodian and other individual employed by the owner or agent
to provide regular maintenance service, if any;
F. 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 any 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;
G. The name and address of every holder of a recorded mortgage on the
premises;
H. 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;
I. 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 include a floor plan as a part of
the application, which shall be attached to the registration from
by the Municipal Clerk; and
J. Such other information as may be prescribed by the Township.
The Municipal Clerk shall index and file the registration forms
and make them reasonably available for public inspection. In doing
so, the Municipal Clerk 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 article.
Every person required to file a registration form pursuant to
this article shall file an amended registration form, with the Municipal
Clerk, within 20 days after any change in the information required
to be included therein. No fee shall be required for the filing of
an amendment except where the ownership of tenancy of the premises
is changed.
No person shall hereafter occupy any rental unit, nor shall
the owner permit occupancy of any rental unit with the Township, which
is not registered and licensed and for which a certificate of inspection
has not been issued in accordance with this article.
Upon the filing of a completed registration form, payment of
the prescribed fee and a satisfactory inspection, the owner shall
be entitled to the issuance of a license commencing on the date of
issuance and expiring on the same date of the next calendar year.
A registration form shall be required for each rental unit, and a
license shall be issued to the owner for each rental unit, even if
more than one rental unit is contained in the property.
At the time of the filing of the registration form, and prior
to the issuance of a license, the owner or agent of the owner must
pay a fee in accordance with the following.
A. For each inspection of multiple dwelling units pursuant to §
322-15, the following fees are established:
Number of Units
|
Cost per unit
|
---|
For Units 1 through 7
|
$33 per unit
|
For Units 8 through 24
|
$21 per unit
|
For Units 25 through 48
|
$18 per unit
|
For Units 49 and up
|
$12 per unit
|
B. No re-inspection fee shall be charged for any re-inspection after
a notice of failure.
Every owner shall provide each occupant or tenant occupying
a rental unit with a copy of the registration form required by this
article. This particular provision shall not apply to any hotel, motel
or guest house 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).
No rental unit may be registered and no license shall be issued
for any property containing a rental unit unless all municipal taxes,
water and sewer charges and any other municipal assessments are paid
on a current basis.
All dwelling units shall be maintained in accordance with the
Code of the Lawrence Township, Housing Standards.