Rent Control in New Brunswick City, NJ

Last updated: January 2026

A practical guide to understanding who is covered, key exemptions, and how to check your building's status.

Want to skip straight to checking your own building? Use the RentCheckMe address checker.

1. Overview of Rent Control in New Brunswick City

New Brunswick City, located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, has a local rent control ordinance that provides rent stabilization and tenant protection for many residential rental units. The ordinance is administered by the New Brunswick City Rent Control Board.

This article is a high‑level guide based on public resources and the municipality's rent control ordinance. It is not legal advice. For specific questions about your situation, consult with a qualified attorney or contact the local rent control office.

2. Who Is Covered by Rent Control in New Brunswick City?

The rent control ordinance in New Brunswick City applies to specific types of properties based on the number of units and other criteria:

• Minimum units requirement: The ordinance applies to buildings with 1 or more units.

3. Rent Increase Limits

The rent control ordinance in New Brunswick City limits annual rent increases to 2.5%. At the expiration of a lease, base rent shall not be increased greater than the annual base rent increase percentage adopted by the rent control board. The annual base rent percentage increase for the

4. Exemptions and Exceptions

The following properties or situations may be exempt from rent control in New Brunswick City:

• Motels, hotels, public housing, licensed rooming houses, fraternities/sororities registered by Rutgers University, and similar premises, buildings owner or operated for living purposes by higher educational institutions, units with income-based contracts with government-funded project-based assistance, units in any hospital, convent, monastery, extended stay medical care facility, asylum, licensed nursing home, or assisted living facility, owner-occupied 1-family houses where the owner-occupant has 50%+ interest in title, owner-occupied 2-family properties, and units kept for secondary occupancy. Owners of multiple dwellings may claim exemption for lesser of 30 years following completion of construction and period of amortization of any initial mortgage loan. Vacancy Decontrol allowed for unit every five years if minimum property improvement requirements are met (until re-rented). Maximum increase is standard allowable increase + 4%.

5. How to Check Your Building's Status

To determine if your building is covered by rent control in New Brunswick City, you can:

• Use RentCheckMe: Enter your address in the RentCheckMe address checker to see if your building is likely covered by rent control.
• Contact the Rent Control Board: Reach out to the New Brunswick City Rent Control Board for information about your specific building.
• Call for assistance: (732) 745-5050

6. Additional Resources

• Rent Control Ordinance: View the full text of the ordinance
• Rent Control Board Website: https://www.cityofnewbrunswick.org/residents/departments/planning_development/rent_control/index.php
• New Jersey Department of Community Affairs: https://www.nj.gov/dca/

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: This article provides general information about rent control in New Brunswick City. Rent control laws can be complex and may change over time. For specific questions about your situation, consult with a qualified attorney or contact the local rent control office.