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S 4188

Establishes the crime of misappropriation of payroll funds

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie and 1 co-sponsor

Caps rent increases for long-term seniors (55+, 10+ years) at a CPI-based rate, protecting them from displacement and preserving affordable housing.

REFERRED TO CODES
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 4188

Summary — S4188 (S4188A) — "Senior Citizen Tenant Protection Act" (introduced Mar 3, 2025)

Note: The bill header supplied referenced a different title ("Establishes the crime of misappropriation of payroll funds"). The legislative text and amendment S4188A presented here concern rent‑increase limits for long‑term senior tenants in New Jersey. This summary reflects the Senior Citizen Tenant Protection Act text.

Purpose / Intent

To protect long‑term senior renters (age 55+) on fixed incomes from rent increases that outpace their income growth and cost‑of‑living adjustments, reducing displacement and preserving affordable housing stability for elderly tenants.

Key provisions

  • Eligibility for "protected senior citizen tenant" status:
    • Age 55 or older.
    • Continuous occupancy of the same non‑public housing dwelling unit as principal residence for at least 10 years.
    • Annual household income ≤ $80,000 in the calendar year before the bill takes effect (this limit is adjustable by the Commissioner — see below).
    • Not a holder of federal Section 8 vouchers, not in certain state rental assistance programs, and not in other programs specified by DCA rules.
  • Rent increase limit:
    • After approval, landlords may not raise rent for a protected senior tenant by more than the tenant's current rent multiplied by an "annual index rate factor."
    • If the municipality has rent control/leveling, the landlord must use whichever is lower: the municipal allowance or the index factor allowance.
  • Annual index rate factor:
    • Calculated as 1 + 0.75 × (current CPI − prior year CPI) for the applicable regional CPI‑W (New York or Philadelphia region). The Commissioner of Community Affairs will determine and publish the factor annually on or before October 1.
  • Administrative process:
    • Applicants apply to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The Commissioner must notify the landlord in writing within 10 days of approval.
    • DCA must promulgate rules and forms under the Administrative Procedure Act within seven months of enactment and may adjust eligibility income limits annually to align with the homestead property tax reimbursement program and the maximum Social Security COLA.
  • Waiver for landlords:
    • A landlord may apply to the Commissioner for a waiver if complying with the index limit would cause undue hardship. The Commissioner may grant a waiver only if the landlord demonstrates inability to generate a reasonable investment return, considering equity, mortgage interest, insurance, and recent maintenance/upkeep. Waivers do not override municipal rent‑control rules.
  • Enforcement and penalties (partial text):
    • A landlord who increases rent above permitted amounts is liable in a summary proceeding in Special Civil Part for damages equal to the greater of $500 or three times the difference between the unlawful increase and the permitted amount. (Text was truncated in the provided version; summary reflects available language.)

Who is affected

  • Protected: long‑term senior tenants (55+, 10+ years occupancy) with incomes at or below the specified limit.
  • Landlords of qualifying units (private, non‑public housing).
  • Municipal governments with rent‑control ordinances (their stricter limits prevail).
  • Department of Community Affairs (administration, rulemaking, annual calculations).

Legislative status and timeline

  • Introduced in Senate: 2025-03-03 (sponsored by Sen. Leroy Comrie; cosponsor Lea Webb).
  • Advanced/Amended: Passed Senate (3/4/2025), amended on third reading to 4188A (5/14/2025), recalled and returned between chambers, repassed Senate (5/21/2025).
  • Referred to Senate Codes Committee: 5/22/2025.
  • DCA rulemaking required within 7 months of enactment; annual index published by Oct 1 each year.

Potential impacts

  • Restrains rent increases for eligible seniors, reducing displacement risk.
  • Limits landlords' ability to raise rents above a CPI‑linked formula unless granted a hardship waiver.
  • Administrative duties and modest enforcement caseload for DCA and courts.
  • Fiscal effects on landlords and rental market variability in areas without municipal rent control; municipalities with controls unaffected beyond coordination.

If you want, I can:
- Draft a short one‑page explainer for tenants and landlords;
- Extract the missing enforcement language from bill version S4188A (if you can provide the remainder).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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