On August 9, 2023, the NJ Department of Community Affairs updated regulations concerning the registration of hotels and multiple dwellings. Under the new regulations, property owners are required to annually recertify the registration information for their properties. Property owners are also required update the registration information within 20 days of any information changing. Compliance with both requirements is essential to avoid potential penalties and delays in landlord-tenant court.
We encourage all members to login to the DCA Self-Service Portal – regardless of when recertification is due – to ensure that your registration information is up-to-date and to complete your annual recertification when due/available.
The DCA Self-Service Portal can be used to: (1) download your current certificate of registration, (2) update your registration information, (3) complete your annual recertification when due, (4) download inspection reports, (5) see when inspections are scheduled, and (6) to review and pay and outstanding fees or penalties.
DCA Self-Service Portal
https://njdcaportal.dynamics365portals.us
Failure to comply with registration requirements can subject property owners to a $200 penalty, issued by the Bureau of Housing Inspection. Additionally, under the Landlord Registration and Identity Act and Court Rules, landlord-tenant courts will require a current Certificate of Registration to be filed before allowing a case to proceed to trial. Furthermore, it may take several days for updates to registration information to be processed and for recertification to be completed.
DCA has made available streamlined resources for reviewing and updating registration information with the Self-Service Portal. We strongly encourage all members to utilize this portal to keep your registration information up to date throughout the year and to complete your recertification when due.
Fees
Initial Registration: There is a $100 fee per building for the initial registration of your ownership of a property. This can be paid by e-check, credit card at the tie of submission, or by mailing in payment.
Annual Recertification: There is a $25 fee per building for up to four buildings for annual recertification, but the total cost of recertification shall not exceed $100 regardless of the number of buildings in the property. This annual recertification fee can be paid by e-check, credit card at the tie of submission, or by mailing in payment.
Updating Registration Information: To maintain the accuracy of the registration information, there is no fee for updates made to regulation information throughout the year.
Due Date for Annual Recertification
Recertification of registration information will be due by the expiration date printed on new certificates of registration. For older Certificates of Registration, without an expiration date, recertification will be required one year from the current Certificate of Registration issued month, effective July 1, 2023, and every year thereafter.
Tiered Inspections
In addition to changing updating the registration process, the Department of Community Affairs is also beginning to implement inspection tiering. NJAA strongly supported the legislation creating a tiered inspection program for DCA inspections to reward the best performing properties, while increasing oversight on those properties where it is most warranted.
Under the new system, if a multiple dwelling has no violations from their last inspection or all violations were abated by the first reinspection, it would be placed in the highest tier and be provided with seven years before the next regularly occurring cyclical inspection. If all violations were determined to be abated in the second or third reinspection, they would see no change and would be provided with five years before the next regularly occurring cyclical inspection. If, however, it takes four or more reinspections to abate all violations, the property would be placed in the lowest tier and would be provided with two years before the next regularly occurring cyclical inspection. By putting this tiered inspection program in place, DCA will be better able to focus resources where they are needed most.
Updated Regulations & Additional Information
You can access the “Notice of Adoption” published on August 9 by clicking here; can access the complete Regulations for the Maintenance of Hotels and Multiple Dwellings by clicking here; and can access an advisory bulletin issued by the Department of Community Affairs by clicking here.