Source: https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/breaking-a-lease-in-new-jersey
Timestamp: 2020-05-29 14:31:15
Document Index: 589633438

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 5', '§ 2', '§ 46']

Breaking a Lease in New Jersey [2020]: ALL Legal Reasons
Find out when a tenant can legally break a lease in New Jersey, when they can’t, and whether or not a landlord is required by New Jersey law to make reasonable effort to rerent.
Before we address the legally acceptable reasons to get out a lease early without penalty, it’s important to know the notice requirements in New Jersey to end a tenancy in general.
Lease Termination Notice Requirements in New Jersey
In New Jersey, a tenant is not required to provide notice for fixed end date leases. New Jersey tenants have to provide written notice for the following lease terms:
Notice to terminate a week-to-week lease. 7 Days (§§ 2A:18-56(c))
Notice to terminate a month-to-month lease. 1 Month (§§ 2A:18-56(b)
Notice to terminate a yearly lease with no end date. 3 Months (§§ 2A:18-56(a))
Conditions for Legally Breaking a Lease in New Jersey
There are a handful of scenarios where a tenant can legally break a lease in New Jersey without penalty. We’ll go through each of them below.
In New Jersey, the term “servicemember” means a member of the armed forces, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and the activated National Guard.
Every state has specific health and safety codes that provide minimum standards for rental units, and New Jersey is no different.
If those standards are not met, proper notice is given by the tenant and the repairs/fixes are still not made within the allowable time period, a tenant would be considered “constructively evicted”. As a result, the obligations of the tenant under the lease are no longer required, given that the landlord has not met their own responsibilities under New Jersey landlord-tenant law.
According to New Jersey state law, landlord duties to provide habitable premises include the following (N.J.S.A. 46:8-27 thru 37):
Heat. Supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times and reasonable heat between October 1 and May 1 except where the building that includes the dwelling unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose, or the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat (minimum 68 degrees) or hot water is generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant and supplied by a direct public utility connection. (§§ 5:10-14.4(a))
Landlord entry. In New Jersey, a tenant has the right to receive a “reasonable” amount of notification. (N.J.A.C. 5:10-1.1)
Changing the locks. In some states, if the locks are changed by a landlord without the tenant’s permission or without the protection of specific language in the lease agreement, this can qualify as being “constructively evicted”, and could relieve the tenant of their duties of the lease. In New Jersey, landlords are not allowed to lockout tenants. If the landlord continues in “disorderly conduct”, the landlord may be sentenced to up to six months in jail. (§§ 2C:43-8)
New Jersey provides tenants who are victims of domestic violence with special rental provisions for their protection. If you are confronting a domestic violence situation (this can also be stalking), and want to move, check with local law enforcement regarding state laws that may apply in domestic violence situations.
Some statutes the state of New Jersey provides for victims of domestic violence include (NJSA 46:8-9.4):
Protection from Termination. A tenant who is a victim of domestic violence may terminate a lease if the tenant gives landlord written notice that the tenant or tenant’s child faces the imminent threat of serious physical harm from another named person if the tenant remains on the leased premises.
Proof of Status. The landlord may require that the tenant provide official written proof of status as a victim of domestic violence.
Security Deposit Return. The landlord has 15 days from lease termination due to a claim domestic violence to have available and return the security deposit plus the tenant’s portion of the interest or accumulated earnings.
Landlord Disclosure Prohibited. Landlord shall not disclose information documenting domestic violence that has been provided to the landlord by a victim of domestic violence, nor enter the information into any shared database or provide it to any person or entity. The information may be used when required as evidence in an eviction proceeding, action for unpaid rent or damages, with the consent of the tenant, or as otherwise required by law.
If you, a dependent living with you, or your co-tenant, face a serious physical or mental health issue you may qualify for early lease termination without obligation to pay the entire balance of rent due. Some states offer permitted, health-related lease-breaking arrangements that are age-restricted. Most states require a note from a locally licensed physician and at least 30 days’ notice. New Jersey provides the following statute:
Early termination rights for tenants who face a health crisis. State law (N.J. Stat. Ann. § 46:8-9.2) provides early termination rights for tenants who suffer a disabling illness or accident, or who are 62 years of age or older and need to move into an assisted living facility, nursing home, or continuing care community; such early termination rights are contingent upon the tenant meeting specified conditions (such as a physician’s certification of the tenant’s need to move out of the current rental unit).
Be sure to check The New Jersey Landlord and Tenant Handbook for further information.
Examples of Insufficient Justification for Lease Breaking in New Jersey
Since state landlord-tenant laws vary, the following reasons may legally permit a tenant to terminate their tenancy early in other states but are not applicable in New Jersey:
New Jersey state law does not require landlords to take reasonable steps to rerent their unit when a tenant breaks their lease.
Tenant’s Right to Sublet in New Jersey
Additional Resources for New Jersey Tenants & Landlords: