Rent Cap Ledger

Elizabeth · City ordinance

What's the maximum rent increase in Elizabeth for 2026?

3%

Official figure · checked Oct 18, 2026

Elizabeth's rent control ordinance limits base-rent increases to 3% over the prior 12 months, once in any 12-month period, with at least 30 days' notice.

In effect
Set by ordinance (no annual reset)
Next change
No fixed date
Set by
City of Elizabeth Fair Rental Housing Board · City ordinance
Last checked
October 18, 2026

Where 3% sits

A flat limit set by ordinance.

Annual base-rent increase3%

§ 1 · The formula

How the Elizabeth cap is calculated

Flat 3% a year

A flat 3% over the base rent of the prior 12 months, at lease expiration, termination of a periodic lease or the building's anniversary date, and no more than one increase in any 12-month period.

Law: Elizabeth Rent Control and Stabilization (City Code ch. 5.70).

§ 2 · Coverage

Who it covers, and who's exempt

Covered

  • Dwellings subject to Elizabeth's Chapter 5.70

Main exemptions & conditions

  • Some newly built dwellings for a period set by state law (N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2)
  • Capital improvement and hardship increases need board approval

§ 3 · Timing

Notice, and when it changes next

Notice: At least 30 days' notice before the proposed increase (City Code § 5.70.070).

Next change: No scheduled change: the 3% limit is set by ordinance.

Cost of living here

Rents and prices around Elizabeth

Official figures only, each for the area named. Prices are for the wider metro area; rents and incomes are for the city itself.

Price level

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area · BEA 2024

All items112.6
Housing148.6

Regional Price Parities: an index where the US average price level for all items = 100. Housing is BEA’s “Services: Housing” line (US = 100.6).

Fair Market Rents

Newark, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area · HUD FY2027

HUD Fair Market Rent per month by unit size, Newark, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area
Studio$1,637
1 bedroom$1,850
2 bedrooms$2,233
3 bedrooms$2,785
4 bedrooms$3,188

Monthly gross rent (rent plus utilities). HUD: FMRs are “estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units”.

Rents and incomes

Elizabeth city, New Jersey · ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Median gross rent
$1,523/mo US $1,413/mo
Median household income
$66,555 US $80,734
Median rent as % of household income
32.0% US 30.6%

Gross rent includes utilities. The rent-to-income figure is for renter households (Census table B25071).

Sources

  1. BEA Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area (MARPP) ↗ · 2024 (released February 19, 2026) · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  2. OMB metropolitan area delineations (Census list 1, July 2023) ↗ · July 2023 (OMB Bulletin 23-01) · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  3. HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (county-level data file) ↗ · FY2027 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables B25064, B19013, B25071) ↗ · 2020–2024 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026

Compare Elizabeth with another city → All places ranked → Can I afford my rent? →

§ 4 · Sources

Official sources

  1. City of Elizabeth · headline figure Chapter 5.70 Rent Control and Stabilization (master document, effective 12.12.24) ↗
    “no landlord shall request or receive any increase in base rent in excess of three percent (3%) over the base rent received for the twelve (12) months prior.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · elizabethnj.org

See something out of date? The methodology page explains how we check figures.

§ 5 · Questions

Frequently asked

What is the maximum rent increase in Elizabeth for 2026?

Elizabeth's rent control ordinance limits base-rent increases to 3% over the prior 12 months, once in any 12-month period, with at least 30 days' notice.

How is the Elizabeth rent cap calculated?

A flat 3% over the base rent of the prior 12 months, at lease expiration, termination of a periodic lease or the building's anniversary date, and no more than one increase in any 12-month period.

Which rentals are exempt from the Elizabeth cap?

Some newly built dwellings for a period set by state law (N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2). Capital improvement and hardship increases need board approval.

When does the Elizabeth rent cap change next?

No scheduled change: the 3% limit is set by ordinance.

Where does this Elizabeth figure come from?

From City of Elizabeth: “Chapter 5.70 Rent Control and Stabilization (master document, effective 12.12.24)”, which we last checked on October 18, 2026. Always confirm with the agency before relying on it.

Same state

Other caps in New Jersey

Elsewhere

Other jurisdictions