Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NJ landlords must disclose prior flooding under new law signed by Murphy
By
Karen Yi
Published Jul 2, 2023
Modified Jul 5, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Karen Yi
Published Jul 2, 2023
Modified Jul 5, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Renters and homebuyers in New Jersey will soon have the right to know if their prospective home has flooded previously.
New legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy mandates landlords and real estate agents selling homes to disclose whether the property is in a 100-year floodplain or 500-year floodplain, as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They’ll also have to say if — and how often — the property or its parking lot has incurred flood damage.
The measure was proposed after the remnants of Hurricane Ida inundated parts of the state and killed 30 people. It was backed by environmental advocates and landlord and real estate associations.
“As we brace for sea level rise and inland flooding, this landmark piece of legislation will provide necessary transparency for homebuyers and renters,” Peter Kasabach, executive director of the nonprofit New Jersey Future. “In a highly developed, coastal state like New Jersey, we know the impacts of coastal and inland flooding will threaten housing stock across the state.”
The bill was introduced last fall, a year after Ida, and cleared the Legislature by March. But Murphy conditionally vetoed the measure, asking lawmakers to tighten penalties on landlords who failed to comply.
Under the amended version that passed the state Senate and Assembly in June, tenants have a right to immediately terminate their lease without a penalty if they find out their landlord failed to disclose their unit is in a flood zone. Tenants also have the right to sue for damages if their residence is flooded and the landlord did not disclose the property resides in a floodplain.
As part of the bill, the state Department of Environmental Protection will also launch a searchable website for landlords to check whether a property is in a flood zone or at risk of flooding in the future.
Advocates of the bill said these protections are urgent as climate change threatens more frequent and worsening flooding. They said New Jersey lags behind other states who already have flood disclosure laws. The measure, if signed, would make New Jersey the 30th state with such rules.
A July 2022 report commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council found nearly 8,000 New Jersey homes that previously flooded were purchased in 2021. The report said the average homebuyer of a previously flooded property in the state can expect to sustain about $25,000 in damages over a 15-year period. That goes up to $50,000 over a 30-year period, the report found.
In New York, home sellers are required to inform a potential buyer whether a property is in a floodplain and lawmakers recently closed a loophole that allowed a seller to pay a $500 credit to the buyer to avoid disclosing a property’s flood history, according to the nonprofit Waterfront Alliance.
Landlords have 90 days to begin disclosing flood damage on new leases or renewals.
This article was updated to note the governor signed the bill into law.
Tagged
new jersey
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
A councilmember and immigration activists criticized the governor for not doing more after ICE seemingly admitted to violating a court order.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
The governor’s Republican opponent, Bruce Blakeman, says Hochul failed to prepare for the disruptive industry.
By
Jon Campbell
News
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
The governor’s Republican opponent, Bruce Blakeman, says Hochul failed to prepare for the disruptive industry.
By
Jon Campbell
Judge temporarily halts overnight construction at NYC’s Chinatown jail
By
Giulia Heyward
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
By
Elizabeth Kim
Police search for man in Central Park sexual assault
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .