Proposed Ordinance Would Make Changes To Bloomfield Rent Control Board (UPDATED)

This article was updated at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 24

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield residents who rent their homes or apartments may want to tune in for next week’s town council meeting.

According to a news release from Bloomfield Township, the mayor and council will be asked to consider a new ordinance involving the Rent Leveling Board on Monday, Oct. 27.

The board serves a vital role in Bloomfield’s housing landscape. As a quasi-judicial body created voluntarily by township ordinance, the board is responsible for adjudicating disputes between landlords and tenants, including applications for rent increases, allegations of harassment, and requests for rent reductions due to service deficiencies. Board members are appointed by the township council and serve as volunteers.

Earlier this month, several members of the Bloomfield Rent Leveling Board accused township officials of standing in the way of their efforts to watchdog local landlords.

The board’s chair said it has been attempting to investigate nine years of “missing” landlord rent roll records in the township. The gap may have left Bloomfield tenants vulnerable to illegal rent increases, he said.

One member of the board said it has been “rendered ineffective” by governance failures and withheld data. Another said there has been a lack of enforcement to hold landlords accountable since Bloomfield passed its rent control ordinance in 2016.

Town administrators responded to the allegations, calling them “baseless and misleading.”

>> Read More: Bloomfield Denies Claims Of ‘Obstruction’ From Rent Leveling Board

NEW ORDINANCE PROPOSED

The proposed ordinance would make adjustments to the board's size, composition and operating procedures.

If it passes, the ordinance would require the expiration and reappointment of all board seats, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The board would be composed of seven regular members and two alternate members. The new regular and alternate members of the board would be appointed by the mayor, with advice and consent of the township council.

Mayor Jenny Mundell and Councilwoman Sarah Cruz each commented on the pending ordinance.

“Our administration has made it a priority to modernize and strengthen how we support both tenants and landlords,” Mundell said.

“Our goal is to ensure that Bloomfield’s rent control system continues to protect residents and promote stable, affordable housing,” Mundell added. “By updating the ordinance, we’re reinforcing our commitment to fairness and transparency for everyone involved.”

“We’ve been very intentional about making sure this process reflects the best interests of everyone in our community,” said Cruz, who is liaison to the Rent Leveling Board.

“These changes are about improving how the township supports residents, renters and landlords alike, by creating a system that’s more balanced, efficient and easy to navigate,” Cruz said.

The proposed ordinance has gotten a much gloomier reception from Doug Grant, chair of the Rent Leveling Board, and two of its members: Satenik Margaryan and Kevin Lindahl.

“This is not modernization; it's a retaliatory purge," Grant alleged. “This ordinance is a clear attempt to stop the board from reviewing those rent rolls by firing the very people doing the investigating.”

The Township Council will consider the ordinance as part of its combined conference/regular meeting scheduled for Monday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 1 Municipal Plaza. The proposed ordinance, along with the meeting agenda, will be available at: http://bloomfieldtownnj.iqm2.com/Citizens/

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