The New Jersey Supreme Court issued a Notice to the Bar on Friday, August 8, 2025, making significant changes to the Court Rules governing landlord–tenant cases. Tracey Goldstein, a dedicated advocate for landlords, played a significant role in shaping the recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision that modifies landlord-tenant practice rules to achieve a more balanced framework.
Representing the interests of apartment owners, Ms. Goldstein was instrumental in advocating for fairness in legal processes and ensuring that landlord rights, often underrecognized by courts, are appropriately upheld. Her efforts, alongside others in the landlord bar, helped temper proposed changes that favored tenants disproportionately, resulting in a more equitable outcome as reflected in the new rules. Ms. Goldstein remains available to landlords and their teams to provide guidance on navigating these updated changes, ensuring compliance while supporting the goal of providing fair and affordable housing.
While not explicitly stated, these changes take effect September 1, 2025 and will impact all new filings.
Key Changes You Need to Know:
- 1. Faster Scheduling of Trial Dates. Trials will now be scheduled 21 days after service of the Summons and Complaint, shortening the time period which is now five weeks from service. This important change was influenced, in part, by Tracey Goldstein’s appearance and submissions to the New Jersey Supreme Court, where she urged the Court to reduce the timeframe due to the prejudicial effect of the delay upon owners.
- 2. Trial Information on the Summons. The Summons and Complaint will now list the trial date, the time of trial, and location of the Courthouse. During Covid-19, the trial date, time, and location, were not included on the Summons and Complaint, and this change returns the eviction process to pre–COVID-19 procedures.
- 3. Mandatory New Forms. The Landlord–Tenant Summons (Appendix XI-B) and Complaint (Appendix XI-X) have been revised (Click Here for copy). Use of these forms is mandatory as of September 1, 2025. This means that the Court will not process the Summons and Complaint if it is not prepared on the new form. Changes to the Complaint include, but are not limited to, whether the property or tenant is subsidized, specifying the type of subsidy, identifying the municipality in which the property is located and whether the property is subject to a rent control ordinance. For holdover cases, the revised Complaint also requires an explanation as to the basis for the eviction.
- 4. Landlord CIS Update. The Landlord Case Information Statement (CIS) no longer includes the CARES Act question. However, CARES Act notices must still be served when applicable.
- 5. Shorter Adjournments for Rental Assistance. Adjournments based on a tenant’s pending rental assistance application are reduced from 60 days to 30 days.
Goldstein LePore LLC will handle all form updates and ensure your filings meet the new requirements. Please feel free to contact Tracey Goldstein or Adrienne LePore with any questions or concerns.
This information is provided solely for information purposes. It should not be construed as legal advice on any specific matter and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The information provided herein may not be applicable to all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based upon particular circumstances. Each legal matter is unique, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.