Township Clerk

New Landlord Registration Requirements - effective January 1, 2023

 The State of New Jersey has adopted two (2) new laws requiring municipalities to enforce regulations for landlords who maintain rental properties. Landlords are now required to abide by these new laws:

• Maintain certain liability insurance policies
• Provide a valid lead-free certification for all homes built during or prior to 1978

Hampton Township will begin to enforce these new registration requirements effective January 1, 2023.

All property owners who seek to register as landlords, all landlords who are renewing their registrations, and all landlords who see a rental inspection at a change of tenancy, MUST comply with these new registrations and submit both certifications with applicable fees to Hampton Township's Clerk Office.

Property owners should consult with an insurance professional and or a lead-based paint evaluation contractor as required to satisfy these new registration requirements. For more information, please visit NJ Department of Community Affairs - Lead-Based Paint Inspections in Rental Dwelling Units.

New Liability Insurance Requirements for Rental Properties

The owner of a rental unit of multi-family home which is four (4) or fewer units, one of which is owner-occupied, must annually provide to the township a certificate of insurance that maintains liability insurance in an amount of no less than $300,000 for combined property damage and bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident or occurrence.

Otherwise, the owner of a rental unit or multi-family home must annually provide to the township a certificate of insurance that maintains liability insurance in an amount of no less than $500,000 for combined property damage and bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident or occurrence. 

Please view the Hampton Township 2023-12 Ordinance, AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF HAMPTON, COUNTY OF SUSSEX, STATE OF NEW JERSEY, TO REPLACE CHAPTER 67, ENTITLED "LIABILITY INSURANCE, BUSINESS AND RENTAL UNIT OWNER" WITH "RENTAL PROPERTIES AND BUSINESS; REQUIREMENTS"

A valid certificate of insurance must be submitted along with applicable fess at the time of submitting a landlord registration or renewal, or seeking a rental inspection for a change in tenancy. 

New Landlord Lead-Safe Certificate Requirements Pursuant to the State of NJ P.L. 2021, Chapter 82

All landlords of a single family, two-family, and multi-family home constructed during or prior to 1978, are required to provide to the township a valid lead-safe certification affirming the absence of lead-based pain hazards. The lead evaluation contractor must be certified to provide lead paint inspection services by the NJ Department of Community Affairs. 

A valid lead-safe certification must be submitted at the time of submitting a landlord registration or renewal, or seeking a rental inspection for a change of tenancy with any applicable fees. 

A state issued list of certified lead abatement contractors can be found here: https://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_lead/ld_abat_c.pdf

If a lead evaluation contractor finds that a lead-based paint hazard exists in a dwelling unit upon conducting an inspection, then the owner of the dwelling unit shall remediate the lead-based paint hazard by using abatement or lead-based paint hazard control methods, approved in accordance with the provisions of the "Lead Hazard Control Assistance Act," P.L. 2003 c311 (c.52:27D-437.1 et al.). Upon the remediation of the lead-based paint hazard, the lead evaluation contractor or permanent local agency shall conduct an additional inspection of the unit to certify that the hazard no longer exists and then provides that certification to the township. 

Here is a complete Lead-Based Paint in Rental Dwellings guideline.