On Friday, August 7, Governor Murphy announced the Small Landlord Emergency Grant Program (SLEG) to assist small rental property owners (3-10 unit properties) and their tenants during the COVID-19 emergency. The $25 million grant program will support landlords and renters by reimbursing small landlords for missed or reduced rent payments that occurred between April 2020 and July 2020. Under the program, landlords who receive funding will be required to forgive back rent and late fees that their tenants have accrued during the April to July period.

The program will be administered by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) and will be open for a one-week application period beginning on Wednesday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m. and closing on Wednesday, August 26th at 1:00 p.m. Please see below for additional information regarding program eligibility and the application process.

Program Eligibility

To apply for the program, applicants must be the Primary Property Owner of a residential rental property in New Jersey and be registered with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ (NJDCA) Bureau of Housing Inspection’s Registration Inspection Management System (RIMS) database.

Additional eligibility requirements include the following:

• Property has at least 3 but no more than 10 total housing units
• Property is NOT a seasonal or vacation rental property
• Property has a current fire inspection certificate as of December 31, 2019, from the Local Enforcement Agency responsible for fire safety (Please note: If your municipality does not issue a yearly fire certificate, or has not issued one due to COVID-19, this requirement will be waived. However, NJHMFA reserves the right to screen the property for outstanding life safety code violations in NJDCA’s RIMS database)
• Property has at least one non-vacant rental unit that was impacted by COVID-19, with a net rent deficit, between April and July 2020
• NOT be a government entity or public housing authority
• Be current on all state and local tax obligations
• Must have rent levels affordable to low- and -moderate income households. (Please refer to the to the table on the information page by clicking here.)

Application Process

The one-week application period will open on August 19th at 9:00 a.m. and close on August 26th at 1:00 p.m. Eligible and complete applications will be reviewed and awarded in a computer-randomized order to give each application an equal chance of receiving funds.

For a SLEG sample application, with step-by-step instructions, please click here.

For additional information and the documents needed to apply to the SLEG Program, please review the Application Checklist.

To learn more about the SLEG program, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, by clicking here. Questions regarding the program can be directed to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) at 1-866-280-9756 or SLEG@njhmfa.gov.

NJAA recently partnered with the NJHMFA to present a virtual seminar about what small rental property owners (3-10-unit properties) need to know about the Small Landlord Emergency Grant (SLEG) Program. To view a recording of this seminar, please click here.

For a copy of the Governor’s press release announcing the program, please click here.

To visit the Small Landlord Emergency Grant Program website, please click here.

Should you have any questions or need further information, please contact a member of the NJAA Government Affairs team:

Nicholas Kikis – Nicholas@njaa.com or 732-992-0605

Andrew Musick – Andrew@njaa.com or 732-992-0610