Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in New Jersey?
No. In New Jersey, a landlord may not evict or substantially change the tenancy as a reprisal for a tenant’s attempt to enforce rights, a good-faith code complaint after giving the landlord time to fix the problem, or tenant organizing, and a notice to quit or substantial change without cause after any of those acts is presumed to be a reprisal. Unlike most states, New Jersey sets no time limit on the presumption; it does not arise from a refusal to renew requested more than 90 days before the lease ends. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.10; N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.12.
| What | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Retaliation by a landlord | Prohibited by statute |
| Time period in the statute | Presumed; no time limit |
| How the period works | Retaliation is presumed if the landlord acts within it |
Source
N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.10; N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.12
Read the statute in the New Jersey Statutes (New Jersey Legislature): njleg.state.nj.us.
The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.
Checked against the statute on October 23, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.
Guides on this rule
- Landlord Retaliation Laws: Protected Tenant Acts and Time Limits — When an eviction, rent increase or cut in services is presumed retaliatory: 180 days in California, six months in Texas, a year in New York.
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The same question in other states
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