Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in New Jersey?
No, not in most cases. In New Jersey, a landlord may not refuse to rent to anyone, or set different terms, because of the source of any lawful income the person receives or the source of any lawful rent payment for the property. This is N.J.S.A. 10:5-12(g).
| What | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Renting to a voucher holder | Protected: a landlord may not refuse one |
| What the state law does | Bars refusing a tenant because of a voucher |
Source
N.J.S.A. 10:5-12(g)
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
This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.
Guides on this rule
- Renting to Section 8 Tenants: A Landlord’s Guide to Vouchers — How the Housing Choice Voucher program works for landlords: the HAP contract, inspections and the 2027 NSPIRE change, rent reasonableness, and who pays what.
- Tenant Screening: What Landlords Need to Know — How to screen rental applicants fairly and legally: credit and background checks, consistent criteria, the FCRA’s adverse action notice and fair housing.
- The Fair Housing Act: A Landlord’s Plain-English Guide — The seven protected classes, what the Fair Housing Act prohibits, the small-landlord exemptions, advertising rules, deadlines and penalties, with citations.
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The same question in other states
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