[Adopted 1-1-1982 as Sec. 2-27 of the 1982 Recodification]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AVAILABLE FOR RENT TO TENANT
Fit for habitation as defined by statutes, codes, regulations and ordinances in full force and effect in the State of New Jersey, County of Bergen and Borough of East Rutherford, and occupied or unoccupied or unoccupied and offered for rent; in which cooking equipment is supplied or includes heating privileges, furnishings, equipment, facilities and improvements connected with the use of occupancy of such portions of the property. The term shall not mean or include public housing or dwelling space in any hotel, motel or established guest house, commonly regarded as a hotel, motel or established guest house.
BOARD
The Rent Leveling Board as created by this article.
CLERK
The Borough Clerk of the Borough of East Rutherford.
DWELLING
Includes any building or structure or trailer or land used as a trailer park, rented or offered for rent to one or more tenants or family units. Exempt from this article are hotels, motels or established guest houses, as the case may be; and similar type buildings and buildings in which up to 1/3 of the occupied floor space is commercial and one housing unit. Housing units newly constructed and rented for the first time are exempt and the initial rent may be determined by the landlord. All subsequent rents will be subject to the provisions of this article. All premises or buildings which are presently subject to rent control or rent stabilization by the United States or the State of New Jersey are also exempt.
GOVERNING BODY
The Mayor and Council of the Borough of East Rutherford.
HOUSING SPACE
Is and includes that portion of a multiple dwelling rented or offered for rent for living or dwelling purposes to one individual or family unit, together with all privileges, services, furnishings, furniture, equipment, facilities and improvements connected with the use or occupancy of such portion of the property. The terms shall not mean or include public housing or dwelling space in any hotel, motel or established guest house, commonly regarded as a hotel, motel or established guest house.
JUST CAUSE
Action on the part of the landlord in refusing to let, rent, relet, rerent to a tenant or basis for dispossession for any one or more of the following reasons:
A. 
Failure on the part of the tenant to pay rent due and owing under the lease, whether the same be oral or written.
B. 
Disorderly or disturbing noises or conduct on the part of the tenant that destroys the peace and tranquillity of the landlord, other tenants or other persons living in or about the neighborhood.
C. 
Intentional or persistent neglect, damage or injury by the tenant to the property of the landlord.
D. 
Constant violation by the tenant of the rules and regulations of the landlord if signed by the tenant or incorporated in the lease with a copy being given to the tenant.
E. 
Substantial breach of the terms and conditions of the lease agreement by the tenant.
F. 
Owner seeks to occupy premises himself.
G. 
Owner seeks to close premises down without permitting any further occupancy.
MULTIPLE DWELLING
Includes any building or structure and land appurtenant thereto, rented or offered for rent to three or more tenants or family units.
[Amended 5-17-1982 by Ord. No. 82-6]
PRICE INDEX
The Consumer Price Index (all items) for the region of the United States in which East Rutherford, New Jersey, is a part, published periodically by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor.
PUBLIC OFFICER
Chairman of the Rent Leveling Board.
SUBSTANDARD MULTIPLE DWELLING
Any multiple dwelling determined to be substandard by the Public Officer.
A. 
Composition, appointment, term and compensation. Such Board shall consist of seven members, and each member of said Board shall be appointed by said Mayor and Council for a period not to exceed three years each, with each member serving without compensation.
B. 
Powers and duties. The Board is hereby granted and shall have and exercise, in addition to other powers herein granted, all the powers necessary and appropriate to carry out and execute the purposes of this article, including but not limited to the following:
(1) 
To issue and promulgate such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to implement the purposes of this Act, which rules and regulations shall have the force of law until revised, repealed or amended from time to time by the Board in the exercise of its discretion, provided that such rules are filed with the Borough Clerk.
(2) 
To supply information and assistance with landlords and tenants to help them comply with the provisions of this article.
(3) 
To hold hearings and adjudicate applications from landlords for additional rentals as hereinafter provided.
(4) 
To hold hearings and adjudicate applications from tenants for reduced rentals as hereinafter provided.
(5) 
Such Board shall give landlord and tenant reasonable opportunity to be heard before making any determination.
A. 
Establishments of rents between the landlord and to whom this article is applicable shall hereinafter be determined by the provisions of this article. At the expiration of a lease or at the termination of a periodic tenancy, no landlord may request or receive a percentage increase in rent which is greater than 5 1/2% over the previous rental. For a periodic tenant whose lease term shall be less than one year, said tenant shall not suffer or be caused to pay more than one rental increase in any 12 consecutive months.
B. 
Initial rent. However, the initial rent charged any tenant upon his moving into a multiple dwelling as defined herein shall in no way be governed by the rent the landlord was receiving from any tenant previously occupying the apartment in issue. The initial rent between a landlord and tenant shall be solely established by way of agreement between the landlord and tenant.
[Added 5-17-1982 by Ord. No. 82-6]
Any rental increase at a time other than at the expiration of a lease or termination of a periodic lease shall be void. A rental increase in excess of that authorized by the provisions of this article shall be void.
Any landlord seeking any increase in rent shall notify the tenant by certified mail of the calculations involved in computing the increase.
A. 
In the event that a landlord cannot meet his mortgage payments and maintenance, he may appeal to the Rent Leveling Board for increased rental. The Board may grant the landlord a hardship rent increase to meet these payments. Prior to any such appeal to the Board, a landlord must post in the lobby of each building or, if no lobby is present, in a conspicuous place in and about the premises a notice of said appeal setting forth the basis for said appeal. Said notice must be posted for at least five days prior to the proposed date of the appeal.
B. 
The landlord may seek additional rental for major capital improvements or services. The landlord must notify each tenant by certified mail of the total cost of the completed capital improvement or services, the number of estimated years of useful life of the improvement as claimed by the landlord for federal income tax purposes, the average costs of the improvement, the total number of square feet occupied by the tenant and capital improvement surcharge he is seeking from one tenant. The landlord seeking capital improvement or service surcharge shall appeal for such surcharge to the Rent Leveling Board which shall determine if said improvement is a major improvement and, if so, shall permit such increase to take place. If said increase is granted, it shall not be considered rent and calculated in the cost of living increases. In any event no increase by authority of this section shall exceed 15% of the tenant's rent at the time the surcharge is levied. At no time shall the amount of property occupied by the tenant be construed to include the property to which he has no access.
C. 
All increases under this section shall be made for such a period of time as the Rent Leveling Board in its discretion shall deem necessary, and any and all of the powers granted to the Rent Leveling Board shall be subject to the final approval of the governing body.
Both the landlord and tenant may appeal the finding of the Board to the governing body within 20 days from the date of said determination and request a hearing thereon by the governing body.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to demand or receive any rent in excess of the maximum rent established by the Rent Leveling Board or to demand possession of the space or to evict a tenant because of failure of a tenant to pay rent in excess of the established maximum rent. The owner or other person entitled to receive said rents shall not be prevented, however, from exercising his right to obtain possession of housing space as a result of the tenant's violation of law or breach of contract, and the owner or other person entitled to receive said rents shall be permitted to obtain possession of the premises for his own personal use and occupancy or for the purposes of substantially altering, remodeling or demolishing the dwelling.
B. 
In the event of substantial alteration, the relocated tenant shall have first option to the reconditioned premises.
During the term of this article, the landlord shall maintain the same standards of service, maintenance, furniture, furnishings and equipment in the housing space and dwelling as he provided or was required to do by law or lease at the date the lease was entered into.
No landlord, after the effective date of this article, shall charge any rents in excess of what he was receiving before the effective date of this article, except for an increase as authorized by this article.
The owner of housing space or a dwelling being rented for the first time shall not be restricted in any initial rent he charges. His subsequent rent increases, however, shall be subject to the provisions of this article.
A willful violation of any provision of this article, including but not limited to the willful filing with the Rent Leveling Board of any material misstatement of facts, shall be punishable by a fine of $500 and imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both. In addition, treble damages may be sought in a court of competent jurisdiction. Such filing of fines and/or damages shall be computed on the basis of a separate violation as to each leasehold.
This article being necessary for the welfare of the Borough of East Rutherford and its inhabitants shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes thereof.