Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in New Jersey

Re: raise rent out of retaliation

Once your lease expired, you became a month to month tenant. If you are presented with a new lease, the landlord will have to give you 30 calendar days (one full month) to accept the lease, and it will take him another 60 days before he can file an action to evict you for your failure to enter into a new lease. Since I do not know all the facts of your case, I cannot tell you what a judge would likely do if he brings the action for your failure to sign the new lease. If the terms are in retaliation for you complaining, the judge may find them unreasonable. If there are illegal apartments in your residence, the local building department may be interested in that. Calling the building department on your landlord does not solve your problem it just creates one for the landlord. You may want to exchange the fact that you will live with the new tenants, but not without the repairs... otherwise you know your rights and will be forced to use them... and nobody wins.

John M. Pinho

www.DaSilvaPinho.com

Please note the above answer is based on limited facts and since I did not have the benefit of a full consultation where all the facts can be explored including the venue of the matter nobody should take the above as legal advise. It is just an opinion based on limited and assumed facts. If you wish, you can make an appointment to consult with me in person.