Mayor Baraka signs Order establishing Newark City’s list of worst non-compliant landlords

The purpose of the list, according to a post by the City, is to protect tenants by identifying and publicizing property owners who have demonstrated a repeated pattern of non-compliance with City housing, safety, registration, and inspection requirements – conduct that places residents at risk and discomfort, and that burdens City resources.

The post stressed that for purposes of the executive order, non-compliance is defined as a repeated pattern of failing to comply with City laws designed to protect residents, including housing and habitability requirements, health and fire safety regulations, Uniform Construction Code requirements, rental property registration and renewal requirements, refusal to allow inspections, and failure to correct violations after notice. It also includes failure to follow required City processes that enable enforcement and oversight to occur.

Conditions for landing on the list include mismanagement that results in three violations within 12 months for a single address, or five violations within 12 months for landlords with multiple properties. Once on the list, a full year must pass before the status can be reevaluated. Ownership transfers will be tracked to prevent avoidance of accountability by sleight of paperwork.

As always, the post concluded, “the City encourages tenants to report all unsatisfactory living conditions to the Division of Code Enforcement by calling 973-733-3813.”