How Much Does It Cost to Evict a Tenant in NJ?

19 Apr How Much Does It Cost to Evict a Tenant in NJ?

Depending on the lawyer hired, a landlord will incur out-of-pocket costs and fees in a range of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars in evicting a residential tenant in New Jersey.  Our law firm fully understandings those fees are only a part of the total costs the landlord will face in the eviction process.  The phrase “time is money” becomes more and more appropriate the longer a tenant can remain in possession of the rental unit without paying rent.  The longer an apartment unit fails to produce income, the bigger the impact it has on a landlord’s bottom line.

The attorneys at GLR&W LLC is located in Mount Holly understand what landlords and property managers are faced with.  We specialize in representing landlords in New Jersey evictions. We actively help landlords manage and control eviction expenses with planning and advice based on our more than 50 years of experience in the residential real estate industry.

Landlords will incur court costs and fees because New Jersey evictions are judicial processes

Due to the number of evictions we file, we can offer much better service while keeping the costs of the eviction process down.    New Jersey does not recognize “self-help” evictions, and therefore efforts to remove a tenant from a leased property must be done through a real estate eviction proceeding in a New Jersey Superior Court. Depending on the complexity of the proceeding, an eviction attorney will either charge a flat fee or will invoice the landlord on an hourly basis. If a tenant facing eviction challenges the complaint and takes the matter to a trial, the landlord will incur higher attorney’s fees.  Due to the recent changes in the eviction process, the time and amount of work of filing an eviction have increased significantly.  Now more than ever landlords need to hire a real estate attorney who specializes in landlord-tenant law to file the eviction.  New Jersey evictions have become a specialized area of the law due to the complexity of the court procedure.  Since September 2021, the amount of paperwork and amount of time spent in court to prosecute an eviction complaint has more than doubled!  As the focus of our firm is landlord-tenant evictions, our law firm is well equipped to understand and manage the changes to New Jersey landlord-tenant law and process.   Our goal is to make the process of filing evictions easy and cost-effective for our landlords.

Landlords should also account for lost rents and turnover costs

The cost of eviction is never limited to just court expenses and attorney fees. The leased premises will likely be vacant for a few months after an eviction, during which time a landlord will not collect any rent. The landlord may also need to complete cleaning and repairs in the vacant unit before renting it again. Landlords that operate their properties under a business model often maintain reserves for these excess costs. They may also have a right to set off those costs against the evicted tenant’s security deposit.

New Jersey landlords should consult with a knowledgeable eviction lawyer for advice on the proper use and application of security deposits following an eviction.

Landlords need to consider intangible expenses that may be associated with evictions

Evictions and vacancies can affect the value of the rental property and the landlord’s ability to raise rents, even in the current tight residential rental market. Further, vindictive tenants facing eviction might attempt to damage the property or impair the landlord’s right and ability to get them to move out of the leased premises, even when they have missed rent payments or have violated other terms and provisions of their lease agreements.

In some situations, a landlord can save costs and expenses by actively negotiating with a tenant and working to accomplish a less contentious transition of the tenant out of a leased space. An experienced tenant eviction attorney can help a landlord manage this process and reduce costs and expenses within the requirements of New Jersey’s judicial eviction processes.

Call the Eviction Lawyers at GLR&W LLC

The lawyers at New Jersey Eviction Law help landlords manage tenant evictions in New Jersey cost-effectively and efficiently.  Please call our offices in Mount Holly to schedule a consultation with one of our lawyers. We work closely with our landlord clients during eviction proceedings and represent them throughout all phases of the eviction process.