Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires that certain tenants residing in rental housing be issued monthly rent receipts that itemize heat and electricity costs when those costs are included in monthly rent.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning rent receipts for certain tenants and supplementing P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-1 et seq.) and P.L.1984, c.180 (C.52:27D-280 et al.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Whenever heat is included in the monthly rent charged to a tenant in a building operated by a municipal or county housing authority created pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-17), the executive director that housing authority shall issue the tenant a monthly rent receipt that lists separately the monetary value of the heat provided by the housing authority and paid for by the tenant through the monthly rent.
b. The Commissioner of Community Affairs, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of this section. Those regulations shall ensure that the monthly rent receipt required to be provided to a tenant in subsection a. of this section shall provide information sufficient to qualify such a tenant for assistance under the “Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program” established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq.
2. a. The landlord of a tenant who is receiving rental assistance from the State rental assistance program pursuant to P.L.2004, c.140 (C.52:27D-287.1 et seq.), or a housing choice voucher from the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, toward the payment of their monthly rent, which includes heat, shall issue such a tenant a monthly rent receipt that lists separately the monetary value of the heat provided by the landlord and paid for by the tenant through the monthly rent.
b. The Commissioner of Community Affairs, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of this section. Those regulations shall ensure that the monthly rent receipt required to be provided to a tenant in subsection a. of this section shall provide information sufficient to qualify such a tenant for assistance under the “Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program” established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require that whenever heat is included in the monthly rent charged to a tenant in a building operated by a municipal or county housing authority created pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-17), the executive director that housing authority must issue the tenant a monthly rent receipt that lists separately the monetary value of the heat provided by the housing authority and paid for by the tenant through the monthly rent. The bill would also require that the landlord of a tenant who is receiving rental assistance from the State rental assistance program pursuant to P.L.2004, c.140 (C.52:27D-287.1 et seq.) or a housing choice voucher from the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, toward the payment of their monthly rent, which includes heat, must issue such a tenant a monthly rent receipt that lists separately the monetary value of the heat provided by the landlord and paid for by the tenant through the monthly rent.
The Commissioner of Community Affairs must promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of the bill. The bill specifically requires that those regulations must ensure that the monthly rent receipt required to be provided to a tenant under the bill shall provide information sufficient to qualify such a tenant for assistance under the “Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program” established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.8621 et seq.