Hudson Reporter Archive

Judge orders Hoboken rent control petitions to be approved for referendum

HOBOKEN – Voters may be able to decide on two hot item referendums this November when they go to the polls.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Bernadette DeCastro ordered on Thursday that the Hoboken City Clerk’s office certify petitions for a referendum on three recent changes to the city’s rent control law, and also ordered that the city suspend the recently passed changes until the council repeals them or they appear on the ballot in November, according to court documents provided to The Reporter .

The decision comes just a week after the City Clerk approved petitions for a different referendum, one that would allow the people to decide in November whether municipal elections should move from May to November. The council voted to move municipal elections by a 5-4 vote in July.

Rent control is a set of laws that apply to approximately 8,000 apartments in Hoboken built before 1987. They limit the amount that landlords can increase the rent each year, but can allow additional increases for capital improvements and other matters.
The council voted this past March to make three changes to the city’s 1973 rent control law after a council subcommittee convened for almost two years to discuss potential changes.

One change passed by the council would limit back pay for tenants who are charged illegal rents, to two years. Without the change, tenants could be awarded money for the length of the violation. However, some landlords say that the city’s alleged sloppy record keeping makes it difficult to calculate a legal rent. Another change passed by the council, which some see as a direct response to problems with record keeping, allows a landlord to furnish alternative documents to apply for vacancy decontrol.

Vacancy decontrol lets landlords add a 25 percent rent increase every three years if a tenant vacates the unit. A third change passed in March requires landlords to inform tenants of their rights under Hoboken’s laws and show proof the information was supplied.

The petitioners had originally submitted sigatures a few months ago, but the city clerk said they did not have enough.

The council will likely address the legislation at the next City Council meeting, scheduled for Sept. 1. — Ray Smith

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