August 2025 Rent Control Application Response

Dear Applicant,

This is a response to your requested relief in your application for a review of your rent under the Township of Teaneck’s rent control ordinance. On page 12 of your rent control application, you requested the following relief, which states in part:

Relief Requested:

1.      To calculate and establish the Fair Rent, from 2005 to 2025;

2.      To determine in the current tenancy, 2022 to 2025, the discrepancy between the Fair Rent and the rent charged and paid, as well as for the Security Deposit and any fees or charges.

3.      To calculate the amount of overcharge and the penalties thereof.

4.      Tenant will be doing additional research as to the options in what may be ordered, as to rent abatement and/or payment, and will make a specific request.

5.      To at all times encourage the landlord to engage in a process with tenant to come to an agreement.

6.      To Order the Landlord to produce more appropriate and accurate monthly rent statements.

7.      To Order the Landlord to immediately cease and desist in the practice of using "10% late fees ... as Additional Rent."

8.      For the Landlord to be ordered to produce and offer a new lease, based on the Fair Rent in the original Rent Roll.

9.      To make said general orders apply . . . .

10.  In regards to the period of time to be reviewed, please note that the Teaneck Township Rent Control Ordinance, Chapter 29C, under AMO duties, has a lookback time-limiting directive:

(16) The AMO shall not review the legality of any rental increase or other charge or any other matter, or make a detennination thereon, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter which was charged or had occurred at any time more than six months prior to the filing of an application pursuant to § 29C-5(b )(1) before the AMO regarding said matter.

There are problems with this regulation. . . .Rental Control Application, at 12.

We reviewed your ten (10) requests for relief, as cited above, and have made the following findings:

Response to Relief Request #1 – The Township’s rent control ordinance only permits a 6 month look-back period. After reviewing the six-month look-back period, the rent currently charged is below the maximum allowable rent. The Township’s rent control ordinance does not mention late fees or security deposits. Thus, no relief is available to tenant by the Township. (Please see the attached document showing the tenant’s rental calculation. The average CPI calculated is 3.675%. Accordingly, your landlord could have raised your rent up to $69.75 but raised the rent by $50).

Response to Relief Request #2 – Please see response to relief request #1.

Response to Relief Request #3 – As the landlord charged below the allowable rent increase, there is no overcharge.

Response to Relief Request #4 – Relief request #4 is a statement requiring no response from the Township. Specifically, this request states, in part, that "[t]enant will be doing additional research as to the options in what may be ordered. . . and will make a specific request." See Rental Control Application, at 12.

Response to Relief Request #5 – Since there is no relief available to the tenant that the Township can provide, the Township is unable to impose any obligation on the parties to come to an agreement.

Response to Relief Request #6 – Please see response to relief request #1. Further, there is nothing for the Township to “order” because there is no relief available to the tenant that the Township can provide. See Rental Control Application, at 12.

Response to Relief Request #7- The Township’s rent control ordinance does not mention late fees. Thus, there is no relief available to the tenant that the Township can provide.

Response to Relief Request #8 – Please see response to relief request #1. Further, there is no available relief to the tenant the Township can provide, thus the Township cannot “order[]” the landlord to “produce and offer a new lease.” See Rental Control Application, at 12.

Response to Relief Request #9 – There is no “order” for the Township to “apply” since there is no relief available to the tenant that the Township can provide. See Rental Control Application, at 12.

Response to Relief Request #10 – Relief request #10 is a statement requiring no response by the Township. However, please see response to relief request #1.

Tenant Rental Control Application – Calculation

The Township of Teaneck Code, Sec. 29C details rent control and how to calculate the permitted rental increase. Sec. 29C-2(b) states in part, “[t]he fair rental . . . may be increased by a maximum percentage equal to the percentage increase in the latest available consumer price index . . . for the twelve-month period preceding the date of the notice of the proposed rental increase, and, as so increased, shall be deemed to be the fair rental for the purpose of computing the permitted increase for the next succeeding twelve-month period.” Sec. 29C-2(b).

The applicant received their notice of proposed rental increase for the 2025-2026 rental term in November of 2024. Thus, the 12-month period preceding the date of the notice is December 2023 through November 2024.

Table 1: Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) for the New York/New Jersey Area

Table 2: CPI Per Month from December 2023-November 2024

§  Applicant’s Rent for 2024-2025 Term: $1,899.00

§  3.675% of $1899.00 = $69.78

§    Maximum Allowable Rent Increase: $69.78

§  Applicant’s Proposed Rent for 2025-2026 Term: $1,949.00

§ Applicant’s Rental Increase Difference: $50

The average CPI from December 2023 through November 2024 is 3.675%. See Tables 1 and 2. Thus, the maximum allowable rent increase for the applicant’s 2025-2026 lease term is $69.78. Ibid. For the 2025-2026 lease term, the applicant’s rent increased by $50. Therefore, the increase of $50 is below the maximum allowable rent increase.