Newark Takes Aim At Abusive Landlords With New Ordinance

NEWARK, NJ — Newark is taking action against landlords who rent “uninhabitable apartments” and abuse the subsidized voucher system.

On Monday, Mayor Ras Baraka announced the passage of a municipal law that will impose new regulations on landlords in the city.

According to Baraka, the ordinance will require landlords to have apartments they own be fully inspected by the Division of Housing Code Enforcement before they can be rented to new tenants and receive a certificate of code compliance.

The end result is that Newark landlords won’t be able to rent out “uninhabitable apartments,” Baraka said.

What happens when apartments aren’t up to snuff? According to city officials:

“Landlords who rent apartments that do not earn a Certificate of Code Compliance will be required to relocate the tenant in the same building, or issue all security deposits, so that the tenant can secure a new rental unit, or provide the tenant with three months of rent paid so that the tenant can secure another rental unit.”

Another section of the new law will ban Newark landlords from accepting subsidized rental vouchers from out-of-city, county, state, out-of-state, or federal government agencies for more than one month.

According to a statement from Baraka, several Newark landlords are currently taking vouchers for up to one year’s rent, allowing the tenants – often in dire need – to move into apartments. The landlords are then neglecting maintenance at the homes, leaving them uninhabitable.

Violations of the new ordinance will face legal action in Newark Municipal Court. Violators found guilty can face a range of fines from $250 to $1,000, or imprisonment for 90 days, or community service for 90 days.

Each day’s violation will constitute a separate offense, and unpaid fines will result a lien on the property, city officials said.

• See related article: Newark Helps Tenants Fight 'Abusive Landlords' With Free Lawyers

‘STATE OF POVERY’ CLAUSE

In addition to the above changes to city policy, a sub-section in the ordinance bars any person from “knowingly bringing a person in a state of poverty and needing help in getting the basic necessities of food and shelter to Newark.”

Any person who violates that sub-section must transport the in-need person out of Newark, officials said.

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