New Jersey City OKs Rent Control Law After Years Of Activism From Local Tenants

PASSAIC, NJ — After Hugo Carrillo’s landlord raised his rent by $1,000 overnight, giving him no choice but to leave the only home that he and his 6-year-old son had ever known, the single father knew he had to do something about it – not just for himself, but for the other renters struggling to pay their bills in Passaic.

That’s when he started organizing.

The hard work paid off for Carrillo and other local housing advocates earlier this week when the Passaic City Council unanimously voted to pass a new rent control ordinance, which activists are calling one of the strongest of its kind in New Jersey.

The city’s new regulations cap annual rent increases at 3 percent and beef up transparency for tenants, including notice of property code and building registration compliance. They also eliminate “vacancy decontrol,” a clause that allows landlords to jack up the rent when a tenant moves out of an apartment.

Passaic is now the fifth city in the state to eliminate vacancy decontrol, according to Make the Road New Jersey, an advocacy group that helped to spearhead the local campaign for rent protection.

The ordinance impacts more than 9,800 Passaic tenant households. Advocates say it will safeguard more than 4,000 families from homelessness.

The ordinance will take effect on Sept. 22 – but the pressure has been building for years, housing advocates said:

“In 2022, Passaic tenants conducted a survey to understand how the pandemic had further exacerbated poor housing conditions, and exorbitant rents. Since then, Passaic tenants have organized their own buildings and tenants across the city and brought to the city’s attention growing insecure housing conditions by submitting complaints and requests for repairs. In 2024, Passaic tenants launched a tenants' union as another measure to address aforementioned conditions and identify and organize around shared concerns. In February 2025, the City of Passaic moved an ordinance to stabilize rents at 6% for the first time in more than 20 years. While the move recognized organizing efforts, after decades without regulation, Passaic tenants knew that the ordinance would not realize its intended goal. Leveraging the power of direct democracy through a ballot referendum, tenants collected the signatures of more than 1,500 Passaic voters in just nine weeks. Shortly thereafter, the city council and mayor reached out to tenants to revise the ordinance on the books to better protect tenants.”

Carrillo and his son are among those that have felt the impact of skyrocketing rents firsthand.

“In 2024, from one night to the next, my landlord raised my rent $1,000,” he recalled. “We had no choice but to leave the only home my 6-year-old son has ever known. In total, three of the five families in that building also left. We have had to downsize from a one-bedroom apartment to just renting a room in an apartment.”

“That’s why I started organizing in my community,” Carrillo said. “There is a housing crisis in Passaic – and this ordinance is a real response to it.”

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“Together, with community members and the city council, we’ve passed one of the strongest rent stabilization measures in New Jersey,” Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said.

“Our approach working with all stakeholders on this historic ordinance has helped strike a balance: defending tenants while supporting responsible property owners and holding bad actors accountable,” Lora said.

The council’s decision to strengthen its rent control ordinance comes amid a worsening eviction crisis in Passaic County. According to Court Management Statistics, eviction filings jumped from 2,652 in 2021 to 6,745 in 2024. The number is projected to rise to 6,992 filings in 2025. In terms of demographics, 80 percent of these evictions represent minority tenants – well in excess of the national average.

Additionally, these numbers represent a disproportionate number of women (62 percent) and families with children (53 percent). Most of the tenants facing eviction have faced a rental increase in the last 12 months and are having difficulties covering household expenses.

Currently, in order to afford an average two-bedroom apartment in Passaic, a family would need to earn nearly $5,000 a month.

According to Make the Road New Jersey, the city’s new rent control law – a result of Black and Latino voters organizing – shows that voters of color will turn out for “bread and butter” issues that directly impact their lives: an end to skyrocketing rents, closing loopholes that exploit tenants, and ending subsidies for billionaires.

It’s something that New Jersey politicians should pay attention to, said the group’s director, Nedia Morsy.

“Passaic voters' eagerness to put housing on the ballot demonstrates that speaking directly to working people’s ability to care for their families is what will drive voter turnout and retention,” Morsy said.

“Passaic’s win strengthens the call for statewide action to rein in rent hikes and protect tenants from displacement,” Morsy added. “It is a bold vision that is also a serious political strategy.”

• See Related: Homelessness Is Outpacing Affordable Housing In New Jersey, Advocates Say
• See Related: Thousands Of NJ Tenants Face ‘Unjustified Evictions’ Every Year
• See Related: Cartel Of 10 Landlords Charge 'Unlivable' Rents, NJ Attorney General Says

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