Newark Sees Huge Increase In Rent Controlled Home Registrations

NEWARK, NJ — There are now almost 30,000 housing units registered for rent control in Newark. And demand is still growing, officials say.

On Thursday, city officials announced that Newark saw a massive, 584 percent increase in registered rent controlled properties over the past year.

In 2018, the Office of Rent Control registered 519 properties. This number increased to 3,552 properties in 2019, officials said.

It’s a good sign for Newark, where officials have been trying their best to keep housing affordable, Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“With a growing demand for housing in Newark, there is a strong financial incentive for landlords to try to evade Newark’s strong rent control ordinance,” Baraka said. “Increased rent control enforcement is an important tool in our goal to keep existing housing affordable, while the city ramps up additional housing that residents can afford.”

Deputy Mayor/Director of Economic and Housing Development Allison Ladd said that increasing property registrations will improve the city’s capacity to enforce rent control regulations.

“In addition, it helps ensure that tenants are paying fair rents for their housing and have an avenue for resolution if they file a complaint about unfair increases,” Ladd said.

OVERCHARGING REBATES

On Thursday, Baraka also announced a 323 percent increase in rebates to residents in cases of overcharging.

In 2019, the Office of Rent Control authorized rent rebates of $65, 841 to residents who were overcharged. Rebates for 2018 totaled $15,547, city officials said.

• See related article: Newark Vs. Gentrification: We Can't Become Brooklyn, Mayor Says
• See related article: Newark City Council Approves Rent Control Changes (VIDEO)
• See related article: Newark Takes Aim At Abusive Landlords With New Ordinance

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