Notice – Proposed Amendments to Landlord Tenant Forms and Processes – Publication for Comment – Comments Requested by April 28, 2025

        The Supreme Court seeks comment on the following proposal to revise aspects of the current process for residential landlord tenant matters, including (1) to revise the existing residential landlord tenant complaint form and (2) to require that the form be filed by attorneys and by self-represented landlords. This further proposes (3) to revise the tenancy summons to reincorporate the trial date (consistent with pre-Covid-19 practices) and (4) to remove from the Landlord Case Information Statement a reference to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The attached proposed amendments to two Court Rules would implement these changes.

Landlord Tenant Complaint 
        To further reduce the possibility of an improper residential eviction, the Judiciary has worked closely with stakeholders to develop a proposal that would support the filing of correct and complete complaints, with all required attachments, in a standard format that could more easily be reviewed by court staff. The Court appreciates the preliminary input of tenant advocates and attorneys for property owners on the attached proposed amendments to the Verified Complaint (which is Appendix XI-X in the Rules of Court) and welcomes further comments on this revised approach, which is recommended as a requirement rather than a model form.

Other Proposed Amendments to Rules and Forms
        During the suspension of trials necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the trial date was removed from the tenancy summons (Rules Appendix XI-B). Also during the pandemic, the Judiciary included a reference to the CARES Act in the new LCIS. This proposes to conclude those two time-specific revisions, i.e., to add back the trial date to the summons and to delete the reference to the CARES Act from the LCIS.

Proposed Rule Amendments
       The attached proposed amendments to Rules 6:2-1 (“Form of Summons”) and 6:3-4 (“Summary Actions for Possession of Premises”) would implement the above steps.

Comments 
       Please send any comments on these proposed amendments to residential landlord tenant forms and processes in writing by Monday, April 28, 2025 to:

       Acting Administrative Director of the Courts
       Administrative Office of the Courts
       Attn: Residential Landlord Tenant Forms & Processes
       Hughes Justice Complex        
       P.O. Box 037 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0037

       Comments may also be submitted by email to the following address: Comments.Mailbox@njcourts.gov.The Supreme Court will not consider comments submitted anonymously. Thus, those submitting comments by mail should include their name and address (and those submitting comments by email should include their name and email address). Comments are subject to public disclosure upon receipt.

       The Supreme Court invites oral comment on these proposed landlord tenant reforms at the scheduled public hearing (primarily on the reports of certain rules committees) on May 28, 2025. A separate notice to the bar regarding that hearing will issue at a later date.