IMPORTANT!
If you received an eviction complaint filed with the court, it is important to appear at all court proceedings.
IF YOU ARE AN ESSEX COUNTY TENANT FACING EVICTION AND ARE WAITING FOR YOUR COURT DATE, REGISTER ONLINE TO SPEAK WITH A LAWYER ABOUT YOUR CASE.
Step 1. Register for an upcoming appointment. To register you will need:
Your docket number
Your upcoming court date
The name of your landlord / management company
Step 2. After you register, you will be emailed a link. Use this link on the date and time of your appointment to speak with the lawyer.
Step 3. You will first speak with a paralegal to share more details about you, your finances (for eligibility screening), and your case.
NOTE: VLJ is a legal services organization and has financial eligibility guidelines. Only eligible tenants will be able to speak with a lawyer.
Step 4. Eligible tenants will wait in a virtual meeting room to wait to speak with the next available lawyer. Tenants are seen on a first come, first serve basis. There may be a wait.
You can also apply over the phone on Mondays and Wednesdays, between 10am - 12PM Eastern. Please Call (973) 943-4754.
MORE INFORMATION FOR TENANTS
Click below for more information provided by the courts
Click below if you think your case has been transferred
Know Your Rights
New law: PL 2021 c 188 provides new protections to NJ tenants
If you have unpaid rent during the pandemic, have repeatedly paid rent late, or refused to pay a rent increase you MUST complete a self-certification to be entitled to the following protections under this law. There is a certification available that can provide you with protections.
These protections are to help you avoid eviction.
Landlords can still collect the unpaid rent as debt and can sue you to collect unpaid rent.
There are two types of protections available from this certification:
Protection 1: This prevents eligible tenants from ever being evicted for rent that is unpaid from March 1, 2020, through August 31, 2021.
Protection 2: This extends the protections of New Jersey's eviction moratorium through December 31, 2021, for eligible tenants.
more self-help materials:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
List of 18 grounds for eviction under Anti-Eviction Act published by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA): https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_lti/grnds_for_evicti_bulltin.pdf
DCA’s covid resource center for renters: http://Covid19.nj.gov/renter
VLJ’s Tenancy Program is sponsored by:
In partnership with:
