the house i am renting has major repairs needed asap and ive…

Dear Tara,

Thank you for being patient.

Here is the link for the Jackson Township Code and Housing Enforcement Department:

http://www.jacksontwpnj.net/departments/community-development/code-enforcement.html

and also below is their contact information:

65 Don Connor Blvd
Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: 732-928-1200
Fax: 732-833-0603

I would suggest that you do file a formal complaint with the Township Code Inspector and they inspector will come down to your rental and will document any violations and will issue notices of violations and the landlord will face heavy fines if the repairs are not done and violations are not corrected timely and properly.

Also, here is the contact information for the Ocean County Health Department:

175 Sunset Avenue
P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, NJ 08754 - 2191
Toll Free - 800-342-9738
Phone - 732-341-9700

 

I would suggest that you also do file written complaint with them regarding the lack of water and flooding in your rental unit and they should take appropriated action to investigate such report.

 

As a New Jersey tenant you are legally entitled to rental property that meets basic structural, health, and safety standards and is in good repair.

 

Since you have provided your landlord with a written notice for the necessary repairs and your landlord has failed to make this important and essential repairs, such as a leaky plumbing or a broken water heater, you have several important legal rights, including:

• the right to withhold rent until repairs are made, and
• the right to “repair and deduct”—that is, to hire a repair professional and to fix a serious defect that makes a unit unfit (or buy a replacement part or item and fix it yourself) and deduct the cost from your rent.

The key is that you do have to provide your landlord with a detailed statement of all your deductions from your rent, along with any receipts for the repairs and/or parts.

 

For state law on rent withholding, see N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:42-88, here is the link:

http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_lti/rent_recvrship.pdf

For state law on repair and deduct, see Marini v. Ireland, 265 A.2d 526 (1970), here is the link to the case:

 

http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=5951553466339988203&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr

 

If the cost of the repairs exceed your monthly rent payment, you can also file a lawsuit against your landlord in the local court for the breach of lease due to the breach of implied warranty of habitability and sue the landlord for any damages related to the landlord's failure to make all the necessary repairs.

 

I would also suggest that you do get in touch with your local legal aid society and the local legal aid society can provide you with free or low cost legal services and representation in this matter. Here is the link to your local legal aid society:

 

http://www.lsnj.org/omls/index.htm

 

I wish you the best of luck and hope that the issues with your landlord are resolved soon.