Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon, a mayoral candidate, is introducing three rent protection ordinances, including one that would allow tenants to freeze rents for landlords that break the rules.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Too often, corporate landlords in our city have been getting away with violating or stretching the rules. It’s long past time that we put an end to this,” the downtown councilman said in a statement.
“If your landlord breaks the law, we will freeze your rent. If your landlord breaks the law, they must pay a fine. These three new laws will keep Jersey City residents in their homes and in their city.”
The first ordinance establishes mandatory minimum penalties for violations of rules by landlords of multi-family buildings.
Furthermore, the second ordinance requires landlords to affirmatively state in leases that they are not using the now-illegal rent-setting software, such as RealPage, making sure that no landlord can feign ignorance of the law.
Solomon sponsored a RealPage ban unanimously approved by the city council (9-0) back in May, as HCV first reported.
The third and final ordinance clarifies that if landlords violate landlord-tenant laws, they will not be able to increase rents, in line with existing state law.
“After years of bringing code violations, uncollected fines, and concerns about coordinated rent-fixing to city officials’ attention, I’m grateful that Councilman Solomon has heard the outcry from tenants across Jersey City and developed comprehensive solutions,” added Portside Towers East Tenant Association President Kevin Weller.
“These ordinances address the exact problems that residents in every ward have been experiencing with corporate landlords who treat fines as merely the cost of doing business. We thank Councilman Solomon for his leadership in these much-needed reforms.”
All three ordinances are up for first reading at the Wednesday, September 10th meeting and if approved, will be up for second and final reading at Wednesday, September 24th meeting.
“For too long, tenants have watched landlords like Equity Residential rack up violation after violation while continuing to raise rents as if the rules don’t apply to them. Solomon’s legislation finally gives teeth to our existing laws,” Portside Towers West Tenant Association President Michele Hirsch.
“I’m particularly relieved that landlords who fail to comply with basic registration and disclosure requirements will have their ability to raise rents frozen—just as the law has always required. This is exactly what residents across the city have been demanding. We’re grateful for Councilman Solomon’s work to ensure that the protections already in our laws are actually enforced.”
The Jersey City Council will convene for their caucus today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St., and the public session will also stream live on Microsoft Teams.
> If your landlord breaks the law, we will freeze your rent. If your landlord breaks the law, they must pay a fine. These three new laws will keep Jersey City residents in THEIR homes and in THEIR city
How is it their’s if they don’t own it?
This is a complete joke. When anyone breaks the law, they must be held accountable. The Portside Towers East Tenant Association exploited an administrative mistake from their landlord (who forgot to file a paper on time) so that they can keep living in a prime location with a view over a national landmark without having to pay market price. Good for them to have succeeded in their endeavor, but making regulations even more complex just in an effort to get a few more votes during the next election isn’t going to solve anything.
It’s theirs because they pay to live in it. The landlord wouldn’t own jack if the tenant wasn’t paying their mortgage, taxes, maintenace, and their profit margins with their rent.
Landlords are leeches on the working class; they’re middlemen who price gouge a basic human right. If they violate the law and abuse their tenants then they shouldn’t get to extort their them any further than they already have.
This city is like 70% renters, but there continue to be fools out there licking boot because they dream of also exploiting folks some day.
Is Solomon, a Democrat, or Republican? the system won’t allowed me to asset that information