Signathing

Landlords and property managers

New Jersey Residential Lease Agreement

A plain-language lease for a house or apartment in New Jersey. The deposit, notice and disclosure clauses follow New Jersey statute, cited in the document. Download the blank PDF or e-sign it online; electronic signatures are recognized under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws.

Use this templateDownload blank PDF

Use this template needs a free Signathing account, which is a code to your email or mobile number, no password. It copies the document and all 27 fields into your templates so you can send it in a minute.

New Jersey rules in this lease

Security deposit cap
No more than one and a half months' rent, and any later increase in the deposit may not exceed 10% of the current deposit in a year
Deposit return
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the Landlord returns the deposit plus the Tenant's share of interest, less itemized deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear, by personal delivery, registered mail or certified mail.
Where the deposit is kept
The deposit is held in an interest-bearing account at a federally insured institution in New Jersey (or an insured money market fund when the Landlord holds deposits for ten or more units), the interest belongs to the Tenant and is paid or credited each year, and within 30 days of receiving the deposit the Landlord gives the Tenant written notice of the institution, account type, interest rate and amount.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least one month's written notice to quit, and a Landlord covered by the Anti-Eviction Act may end the tenancy only for a good cause listed in N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1.
Landlord entry
No notice period in the statute; the lease uses 24 hours
Disclosures
5 items, listed below with the section that requires each one
Local rules
Many municipalities, including Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, East Orange and Fort Lee, have rent control ordinances that limit annual increases on covered units.
Statutes
N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.2, N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.1, N.J. Stat. 46:8-19, N.J. Stat. 2A:18-56, N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1, N.J. Stat. 46:8-46
Rules read on
2026-10-23

A general form, not legal advice, and not a claim that it complies with any law. Rules change and vary by city. Check the statute cited here, or ask a lawyer, before you rely on it.

What is different in New Jersey

Pick New Jersey and three parts of this lease change: the security deposit clause, the notice clause for a month-to-month tenancy and the disclosures checklist, each rewritten from the New Jersey statute. The rest of the document reads the same in every state.

Start with the deposit. New Jersey caps it at one and a half months' rent, and any later increase in the deposit may not exceed 10% of the current deposit in a year, and the statute also says where the money sits while the tenant lives there. The return rule, quoted in full below, says when and how the deposit comes back, and requires an itemized statement of anything kept, sends the deposit back with interest and leaves ordinary wear out of the deductions.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy works the same from both sides in New Jersey. Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least one month's written notice to quit, and a Landlord covered by the Anti-Eviction Act may end the tenancy only for a good cause listed in N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1.

On entry the New Jersey statute is silent, so the lease fills the gap with at least 24 hours' notice at a reasonable time and no notice in an emergency, and the footer says the statute set no period.

The disclosures checklist carries four New Jersey items on top of the federal lead paint notice, among them whether the Premises is in a flood zone and any known flooding history, each with the section that requires it and a line for the landlord's initials.

City rules are the other thing to watch. Many municipalities, including Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, East Orange and Fort Lee, have rent control ordinances that limit annual increases on covered units. The state clauses follow six sections of New Jersey law, read on October 23, 2026 and listed in the Statutes row above; the same citations print in the footer of the PDF.

Read the New Jersey clauses

The wording below is what prints in the PDF for New Jersey, word for word, under the headings Security deposit, Entry, Ending the lease and default, and Disclosures.

Security deposit

Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the Landlord returns the deposit plus the Tenant's share of interest, less itemized deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear, by personal delivery, registered mail or certified mail. The deposit may not exceed one and a half months' rent, and any later increase in the deposit may not exceed 10% of the current deposit in a year. The deposit is held in an interest-bearing account at a federally insured institution in New Jersey (or an insured money market fund when the Landlord holds deposits for ten or more units), the interest belongs to the Tenant and is paid or credited each year, and within 30 days of receiving the deposit the Landlord gives the Tenant written notice of the institution, account type, interest rate and amount.

Entry

The Landlord may enter at reasonable times to inspect, repair or show the Premises after at least 24 hours' notice, and without notice in an emergency.

Ending the lease and default

Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least one month's written notice to quit, and a Landlord covered by the Anti-Eviction Act may end the tenancy only for a good cause listed in N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1. If rent is unpaid or a term is broken, the Landlord gives the written notice New Jersey law requires before ending the tenancy, and the Tenant is responsible for rent through the end of the term unless the Premises is re-rented sooner.

Disclosures the Landlord initials

  • Lead-based paint and hazards, for a building built before 1978, with the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. 4852d)
  • The Truth in Renting statement from the Department of Community Affairs (N.J. Stat. 46:8-46)
  • Whether the Premises is in a flood zone and any known flooding history (N.J. Stat. 46:8-50)
  • A copy of the landlord identity registration or certificate of registration (N.J. Stat. 46:8-29)
  • Written notice of the right to window guards in a multiple dwelling (N.J. Admin. Code 5:10-27.1)

Many municipalities, including Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, East Orange and Fort Lee, have rent control ordinances that limit annual increases on covered units.

Footer of the PDF: New Jersey clauses follow N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.2, N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.1, N.J. Stat. 46:8-19, N.J. Stat. 2A:18-56, N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1, N.J. Stat. 46:8-46 as read on 2026-10-23.

New Jersey lease questions

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in New Jersey?
No more than one and a half months' rent, and any later increase in the deposit may not exceed 10% of the current deposit in a year. The cap comes from N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.2, and the lease repeats it in the deposit clause.
When does the security deposit come back in New Jersey?
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the Landlord returns the deposit plus the Tenant's share of interest, less itemized deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear, by personal delivery, registered mail or certified mail.
Where does a New Jersey landlord keep the deposit?
The deposit is held in an interest-bearing account at a federally insured institution in New Jersey (or an insured money market fund when the Landlord holds deposits for ten or more units), the interest belongs to the Tenant and is paid or credited each year, and within 30 days of receiving the deposit the Landlord gives the Tenant written notice of the institution, account type, interest rate and amount.
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in New Jersey?
Either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least one month's written notice to quit, and a Landlord covered by the Anti-Eviction Act may end the tenancy only for a good cause listed in N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1.
How much notice does a New Jersey landlord give before entering?
New Jersey statute sets no notice period before the landlord enters, so this lease uses at least 24 hours' notice at a reasonable time, and no notice in an emergency.
What does a New Jersey landlord have to disclose with the lease?
Beyond the federal lead paint disclosure for a building built before 1978, the New Jersey checklist has four items: the Truth in Renting statement from the Department of Community Affairs, whether the Premises is in a flood zone and any known flooding history and a copy of the landlord identity registration or certificate of registration. The other one are on the checklist in the document. Each one names its statute and the landlord initials it in the document.
Do any New Jersey cities or counties add rules of their own?
Many municipalities, including Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, East Orange and Fort Lee, have rent control ordinances that limit annual increases on covered units.
Which New Jersey statutes does this lease cite?
N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.2, N.J. Stat. 46:8-21.1, N.J. Stat. 46:8-19, N.J. Stat. 2A:18-56, N.J. Stat. 2A:18-61.1 and N.J. Stat. 46:8-46, read on October 23, 2026. They print in the document footer so a reader can check each clause against the statute in a minute.
Should a lawyer look at this New Jersey lease before I use it?
It is a general form, not legal advice, and it does not claim to comply with any law. The clauses state what the New Jersey statute requires and name the statute. A lawyer who works with New Jersey landlords can tell you whether the form fits your property, your city and the terms you want to add, which is worth the hour before signing a lease for a large rent or a long term.

Other states

Who this is for. A New Jersey lease is one half of a landlord's paperwork; proving a notice was received is the other. Both are covered at free e-signatures for landlords.

Free, and not the kind of free with a catch

Unlimited documents, up to 25 signers each, certified PDFs on every one. No trial clock and no card to start.

Start signing free