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Portside Towers Legal Fight for Rent Control

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Disclaimer: I, Kevin Weller, am not an attorney, nor do I represent tenants in a legal capacity. All information shared here is for informational purposes only to support tenant advocacy. For legal matters, please consult our licensed legal team.
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We are the tenants of Portside Towers, two buildings in Jersey City, NJ. Over the past three years, more than 500 families in our buildings have faced massive rent increases of 20-40%. Some of our neighbors became homeless. Others were forced to leave the city they love.

But here's what makes our story different: our buildings are supposed to be protected by rent control. Under local law, annual rent increases are capped at whichever is lower: 4% or the consumer price index. Either way, 20-40% increases are illegal.

We believe our landlord, Equity Residential, has failed to comply with Jersey City's and New Jersey's rent control laws. According to our documented evidence, tenants across our community are being overcharged by more than $500,000 every month. Many families face financial hardship, displacement, and in some cases, homelessness.

Our fight goes beyond Portside Towers. This is a stand for renters across the country, a warning about what happens when tenant protection laws are not enforced. We aim to send a powerful message: tenants deserve fair treatment and lawful protections. Together, we can make a difference that reverberates nationwide.

In our efforts, we uncovered a troubling reality: despite laws meant to protect us, enforcement fell short. We discovered that larger forces can operate with impunity when accountability mechanisms fail.

Here is our story:

It all started with an email to the Jersey City Office of Landlord-Tenant Relations in May 2022.

A tenant emailed a simple question after facing massive rent increases: "Is my building subject to rent control?"

The answer came back: Yes.

And in that reply, we learned about Annual Landlord Registration Statements, official documents that landlords must file with the city.

We obtained these statements for our buildings. They confirmed, under the signature of our landlord and subject to penalty, that both Portside buildings were, and are, subject to rent control.




What the Law Requires

If a landlord claims exemption from rent control, New Jersey law requires specific documented proof. This proof takes the form of a claim of exemption filing, which can only be filed by the building's original owner. This filing must occur at least 30 days before the completion of construction, before the certificate of occupancy is issued.

These requirements are not optional. They are embedded in both Jersey City's local ordinance (Chapter 260) and New Jersey state law (N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.4).

In 1999, the New Jersey Legislature reinforced these requirements, stating: "This act shall take effect immediately and shall be applicable to all multiple dwellings... provided that the owner of the multiple dwellings has fully complied with the requirements of section 4 of P.L.1987 c.153 (C.2A:42-84.4)."

The Legislature's message was clear: full compliance is required. There is no substantial compliance doctrine. Either the proper filing was made within the statutory timeframe, or it wasn't.

Note: All information provided is based on tenant-collected records and our legal team's analysis of the rent control ordinance. Any legal questions should be directed to a qualified attorney.


What We Discovered

We received confirmation from the Office of Landlord-Tenant Relations that at least one Portside building was subject to rent control. We obtained copies of the Annual Landlord Registration Statements, which confirmed rent control status for both buildings. We obtained the certificates of occupancy. We requested the statutorily required claims of exemption for each building.

No exemption filings were located for either Portside building.

At this point, the full picture started to come into focus.

We reviewed Jersey City's rent control ordinance (Chapter 260), which the Office of Landlord-Tenant Relations is responsible for enforcing. According to our legal team's analysis, this ordinance establishes that rent control is the default unless a building's original owner takes specific steps to obtain a temporary exemption. The Director of the Office of Landlord-Tenant Relations, titled the Rent Leveling Administrator, oversees these determinations.


The City's Reversal

In September 2022, four months after confirming our buildings were subject to rent control, the Rent Leveling Administrator issued new determinations stating each building had a 30-year exemption from rent control.

The determination letters included statements acknowledging the absence of required filings:

"NJSA 2A:42-84.4 requires that a written statement of the owner's claim be sent to the municipal construction code official 30 days before the issuance of the CO…"

"Portside was not the owner at the time the CO for 100 Warren was issued in August 1992, and evidently the owner at that time did not apply for the exemption because the intention was to have condominiums, not rentals, in the building…"

"To date, no letter to the Construction Code Official in connection with the requested exemption from rent control for 155 Washington has been located."

Despite confirming that no exemption filings existed, the city reversed its determination and favored the landlord. The city disregarded multiple years of Annual Landlord Registration Statements, signed under penalty, where Equity Residential certified that Portside Towers were subject to rent control, dismissing them as "clerical errors."

The explanation for missing statutory filings: city employees might have lost them, and therefore these documents must be assumed to exist.


But Even If There Were an Exemption

According to our legal team's analysis, even buildings claiming exemption status remain subject to Jersey City's transparency requirements. New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2) only exempts buildings from provisions "which limit the periodic or regular increases in base rentals."

Transparency requirements, including landlord registration (§260-3H), accurate disclosure of prior rents (§260-3I), and Truth-in-Renting compliance (§260-3J), are not provisions that "limit" rent increases.

They are procedural requirements that apply to all landlords.

As our legal team's analysis demonstrates, these provisions serve essential functions: creating public records, enabling investigation of violations, providing information to prospective tenants, and establishing baseline data for when temporary exemptions expire.

The consequences for violating these provisions, including disqualification from implementing rent increases, remain fully enforceable against all buildings.


We Organized

The city expected us to give up after receiving the September 2022 determination letters favoring the landlord.


We didn't.

We formed tenant associations for both Portside buildings. We garnered national and local press coverage: the Wall Street Journal, NBC News, NJ Spotlight News. We began appearing regularly at City Council meetings. We've attended over 60 council meetings over three years.

At one meeting, Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman stated: "…because if paperwork was not filed correctly, I see your point. I do. I just think that as a city, when we fall short, we just gotta own it, so to say... We just have to do what's right."

Her words offered hope. However, they did not translate into action to stop the documented overcharges.


Three Years Later: We're Winning

This is a battle bigger than Portside tenants alone. But our organizing has achieved concrete victories that protect tenants across Jersey City:

✓ May 2025: Jersey City became the first municipality in New Jersey to ban algorithmic rent-setting software

✓ August 2025: City Council voted 8-0 to create a Renter Protection Special Investigations Committee with subpoena power, with citywide jurisdiction to investigate violations from any landlord in any ward

✓ September 2025: Council voted 9-0 to pass mandatory disclosure requirements for all rent increases

✓ September 2025: Council voted 9-0 to clarify that transparency requirements apply to all landlords regardless of claimed exemptions

✓ Federal Court: Our Tenant Associations were granted intervention rights in the class-action lawsuit, giving us independent legal standing

We're also building coalitions with tenant groups across Jersey City. Faith in New Jersey, Make the Road NJ, and tenants from other buildings have joined our fight. This isn't about one landlord or one building anymore. It's about whether Jersey City will enforce laws protecting all renters.

According to testimony at a September 2025 budget hearing, Jersey City could collect "$100 million in uncollected fines related to rent control violations" citywide. Now the city has tools to enforce accountability.


Why Your Support Matters

Equity Residential has unlimited corporate resources and high-priced lawyers on retainer. We have organized tenants and supporters who refuse to accept injustice, but we need resources to match their legal firepower.

Every dollar you contribute funds:

- Our continued legal representation in federal and state courts

- Expert testimony documenting illegal overcharges

- Evidence gathering for the investigatory committee

- Coalition building with other tenant groups

- Support for other Jersey City tenants facing similar violations


Can you contribute today?

Even better: Become a monthly donor. Recurring donations of $25, $50, or $100 per month give us the predictable resources to plan long-term legal strategy instead of constantly scrambling for funds.

The outcome of our case has the potential to impact tenants' rights on a larger scale and could influence decisions nationwide. Any remaining funds will support other Jersey City tenants facing unlawful rent increases.

We've proven that organized tenants can achieve policy change. We've shown that documentation and persistence can defeat corporate resistance. And we've demonstrated that when tenants across a city unite, we can win protections for everyone.


We're not done. But we're winning, for all of us.

Learn more about us and watch the fact-based testimony we've delivered at City Council meetings:


City Council Meetings (CLICK TO SEE US IN ACTION!):

November 9, 2022 (The FIRST 2 Speeches!)=> Click Here

November 28, 2022 => Click Here

November 28, 2022 (The City Council Responds!)=> Click Here

December 14, 2022 (We have signs!)=>Click Here

December 14, 2022 (The City Council Responds!)=> Click Here

December 22, 2022 (Special Meeting)=>Click Here

January 11, 2023 (Call For Richardson Statement)=> Click Here

January 25, 2023> Hudson County Commissioner => Click Here

January 25, 2023 => Click Here

February 8, 2023> Hudson County Commissioner Letter => Click Here


February 8, 2023 => Click Here

February 23, 2023 => Click Here

March 23, 2023 => Click Here

February 22, 2024


PRESS:
October 30, 2017 – Politico – Bid Rig =>Click Here

October 4, 2021 – Hudson County View

October 10, 2022 - Patch.com


November 21, 2022 - Wall Street Journal

November 21, 2022 - Patch.com =>Click Here

November 21, 2022 - The Real Deal

November 23, 2022 - YouTube Story =>Click Here

December 1, 2022 - Patch.com =>Click Here

December 7, 2022 - Hudson Reporter =>Click Here

December 15, 2022 - Hudson County View =>Click Here

January 13, 2023 - Jersey City Times =>Click Here

January 17, 2023 > - Hudson County View - Ron Bautista Letter=>Click Here

January 17, 2023 > Ron Bautista Video=>Click Here

January 23, 2023 - Hudson County View =>Click Here

January 24, 2023 – Eleana Little – I stand with Portside Towers =>Click Here

January 26, 2023 - Hudson County View =>Click Here

February 11, 2023 - NJ.com =>Click Here

February 19, 2023 - Front Page Star Ledger =>Click Here

February 24, 2023 - Hudson County View =>Click Here

March 8, 2023

March 9, 2023

March 27, 2023

March 31, 2023

April 4, 2023

April 7, 2023

April 7, 2023
Kevin Weller Files Class Action Lawsuit Against RealPage

June 1, 2023

June 15, 2023

June 16, 2023

June 19, 2023

July 27, 2023

July 27, 2023

September 20, 2023

October 11, 2023

October 12, 2023

October 19, 2023

October 20, 2023
★ MAJOR VICTORY

October 23, 2023
★ MAJOR VICTORY

November 10, 2023
Equity Residential Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging Rent Control Decision

November 13, 2023

December 1, 2023
★ MAJOR STORY

December 12, 2023

December 14, 2023

February 3, 2024
★ MAJOR TV NEWS STORY

February 5, 2024

February 26, 2024

March 2024

May 8, 2024

Jersey City Council Advances Ordinances that Ban AI-Powered Rent-Fixing Algorithms

★ MAJOR LEGISLATIVE WIN
Jersey City Council Bans the Use of AI-Driven Software When Setting Rent Prices

Jersey City Council Approves Landmark Ordinances to Ban Algorithmic Rent Gouging Among Tenants

Jersey City Council votes down $80k contract for lawyer in Portside Towers case

Mysterious Gunshot Pierces High-Rise Window on Jersey City Waterfront

Jersey City Council passes measure urging legislature to ban rent-setting algorithms

Jersey City Takes Aim at Landlords 'Colluding' on Rent Hikes

★ $400M LAWSUIT
Portside Towers groups file $400M federal lawsuit against Equity Residential

★ $400M LAWSUIT
Tenants File $400M Federal Lawsuit Against Corporate Landlord In Hudson County

★ $400M LAWSUIT
Portside Towers Tenants File Landmark $400 Million Class Action Lawsuit Against Equity Residential

★ $400M LAWSUIT
Portside Towers Tenants Sue Equity Residential / Jersey City tenants' class action claims landlord keeps flouting rent control

Portside Tenants File $400M Class Action to Recover Rent Overcharges

★ TV NEWS STORY
Are algorithms behind dramatic rent increases?

Officials Blast 'Unsafe' Conditions at Equity Residential's Buildings in Jersey City

Residents Demand Action Against Landlord Negligence and Illegal Rent Hikes

★ STATE LEGISLATION
Lawmakers advance bill to ban landlords' use of rent-setting software

Rent Control Amendment: 'No' Vote Leading In A Landslide In Hoboken

Hoboken residents preserve rent control rules in landslide vote

Councilman Rivera Drawn into Debate Over Rent-Control Status of Building

The Jordan in Hoboken is subject to rent control after federal judge dismisses case

The Jordan in Hoboken won't accept rent control designation, refiles in superior court

January 29 2025
★ MAJOR EVENT
The People's State of the City Address


★ MAJOR EVENT
Ali, McGreevey, & O'Dea participate in Jersey City's 'People's State of the City'

New Efforts to End N.J. Affordable Housing Crisis

Jersey City Council hears more complaints about rent control and right to counsel

Jersey City Council receives updates on Portside Towers as lawsuit lingers

Tenants at Portside Towers Bring Jersey City Rent Control Case to Federal Court

Council considers ordinance addressing algorithmic rent price fixing in Jersey City

Jersey City Council Gives Initial OK to Ban RealPage

Jersey City Council Bans the Use of AI-Driven Software When Setting Rent Prices

Jersey City Council Approves RealPage Ban and Increasing Benefits for Laborers

Jersey City Bans Rent Algorithms After RealPage Controversy

Portside Towers Residents Demand Enforcement of Rent Control Amid Escalating Rent Increases

Assembly Passes Bill to Assess Allowable Rent Increases – NJ State Policy Updates

Landlords Who Use Software to Raise Rents May Be Fined, Say Hoboken and Jersey City

★ POLITICAL RECOGNITION
Portside Leaders Appointed Co-Chairs of JCDC Civic Engagement Subcommittee

Legislators Push Back Against 'Rent-Setting' Software

Jersey City Council Faces Tenant Outcry Over Rent Control Violations and Safety Neglect

Hoboken could become second NJ city to bar landlords from using AI to set rent

As Rents Surge in Jersey City, Mayoral Candidates Offer Diverging Plans on Affordable Housing

Several Cities Block AI-Powered Rent Gouging

Councilmen, Tenants call on Landlord to Address 'Neglect' and Maintenance

★ MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
Jersey City Council forms committee to investigate landlords over renter protections

Council Forms Special Committee to Investigate Rent Control, Residential Building Enforcement

Jersey City Launches Investigation into Portside Towers Rent Control Violations

Jersey City Launches Investigation into Portside Towers Rent Control Violations

Solomon: 'If Your [Jersey City] Landlord Breaks the Law, We Will Freeze Your Rent'

Jersey City Council debates rent protection ordinances during caucus meeting

Jersey City Council Seeks to Fine-Tune Mandatory Minimum Fines for Negligent Landlords

How RealPage algorithms drive rent hikes and squeeze US families


Jersey City Council passes 2 ordinances aimed at improving rent control enforcement

October 9 2025

Thank you for your help!
-Tenants of Portside Towers

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    Co-organizers7

    Kevin Weller
    Organizer
    Jersey City, NJ
    Michele Hirsch
    Co-organizer
    Jessica Brann
    Co-organizer
    Dina Bologa
    Co-organizer
    Nicole LaCava
    Co-organizer
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