Watch Hoboken City Council Meeting Using These Links

HOBOKEN, NJ — The city of Hoboken hosted a virtual meeting last Wednesday on proposed changes to Hoboken's Rent Control Ordinance, and is slated to hold a hearing and final vote on the amendments tonight (Wednesday night, Feb. 1).

The city will also take more steps to acquire the Union Dry Dock property on the central waterfront for recreational use, and address several other matters.

The mayor will also honor Dom and Flo Castelitto on the 43-year run of Dom's Bakery, which closed this past weekend.

People interested in attending the Feb. 1 meeting can watch on the city's Facebook page, head to City Hall, 94 Newark St., or watch on YouTube. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

See the agenda here.

See earlier reporting here.

What's It About?

Rents in Hoboken are among the highest in the nation, but rent control laws in older buildings keep tenants stable, limiting increases to the rise in the cost of living adjustment, with several exceptions. They allow landlords to pass along surcharges, and to have a vacancy decontrol every three years if a tenant leaves voluntarily.

Attempts to revise Hoboken's 50-year-old Rent Control Ordinance have been hotly debated in the past, but some changes have passed. Others have been rolled back after costly legal challenges.

Last month, the council voted to contract with former Judge Barry Sarkisian to fine-tune the city's ordinance. Amendments were introduced six weeks later at the last council meeting.

In her newsletter this week, Council President Emily Jabbour summarized the upcoming changes thusly: "Ordinance B-532: Updates to the Rent Control ordinance as part of the ongoing discussions, including clarification ofthe definition of base and legal rent, clarification regarding legal rent calculation, adjustment of the annual maximum rent increase, clarification with respect to the authority of the Rent Control Board, and adjustment of associated fees."

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said that she believes the proposal will hurt rather than help tenants. She wrote in her newsletter, "Many are concerned (including me) that this could open up the city to significant litigation and potentially lead to actions that would weaken of our rent control laws. Remember, it is a precarious balancing act. The City Council is having a follow up closed session with Judge Sarkisian before the City Council meeting and I am hopeful we can find some sort of amended language and steps that the Rent Stabilization Office can take that can provide the right assurances and work better for all parties."

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