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The Neptune Township Committee has plans to change a rent control ordinance that was approved just two weeks ago.

Members of the committee [shown above] introduced an amendment to the measure at their Monday meeting that exempts any dwelling with four or less rental units from the ordinance.

The original language of the ordinance exempted residences with two units or less.

“Anything five units and above will be subject to rent control” if the amendment passes, according to Richard J. Cuttrell, Neptune Township Clerk. “It was the feeling of the committee to increase the threshold for what [the ordinance] is applicable to,” he said.

“We were catching a lot of small owners that we did not want to catch in the net,” said Neptune Township Committee Member Mary Beth Jahn.

“We have a lot of buildings, in Ocean Grove in particular, some are old hotels and very large private residences that had been converted into multi-family units, many of which are four units or less,” she said. “We have not found that they have been part of the problem and we didn’t want to catch those units being subject to the rent control board.”

The rent control ordinance was meant to address issues at larger complexes in Midtown and West Neptune Township, Jahn said.

Discussion on developing a rent control ordinance was prompted by complaints from tenants living in various apartment complexes in Neptune, Committeeman J. Randy Bishop said at an Aug. 12 hearing on the measure.

Among the complaints were those from residents of the Neptune Apartments, who said they experienced a 45 percent increase in their rents when new owners purchased the property in the past year.

Under the ordinance, rent increases are linked to the regional consumer price index. Rental properties throughout Neptune and Ocean Grove are subject to the ordinance.

A public hearing on the matter will take place at the Sept. 24 Neptune Township Committee meeting at 7 p.m., after which the committee may vote on the measure. The committee will also appoint a rent leveling board at the meeting.

The five-member rent leveling board will oversee rent control regulations. The board will hear complaints from tenants about rents charged in excess of the limits set, possible maintenance issues and reduced services. Landlords can apply to the board for rent increases for capital improvements. They can also apply for hardship rental increases if the controlled rents do not allow a fair financial return on the property. Decisions of the board can be appealed to the Township Committee.

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