FREQUENT QUESTIONS

CAN I APPLY ON BEHALF OF MY TENANT?

Yes. If a property manager or owner of a residential dwelling applies for assistance during the pre-application collection period, the following is required:

·         The landlord must obtain the signature of the tenant on pre-application, which may be documented electronically; and

·         Documentation of such pre-application shall be provided to the tenant by the landlord

HOW MUCH RENTAL ASSISTANCE CAN WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE?

The DCA will pay the household arrearages, for a maximum of 18 months, to the extent that funds are available and do not exceed 125% of the area Fair Market Rent. The applicant’s arrears (retrospective to March 13, 2020) will be paid first, with the remainder available for future rent (through December 2021).

Rental assistance will be capped at 125% of the area Fair Market Rent. For households that are unable to provide adequate verification of rental obligations and rely on self-certification, the NJDCA will pay 100% of the FMR for the area in which the applicant resides.

I AM A LANDLORD, DO I HAVE TO ACCEPT THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE?

Yes, the landlord must accept the rental assistance. It is a violation of NJ Law Against Discrimination for a landlord not to accept payments as stated below:

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), enforced by the Division on Civil Rights, prohibits discrimination and harassment in housing based on the source of lawful income a tenant uses to pay rent, including the COVID-1 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CVERAP). That means that a landlord cannot refuse to accept CVERAP, refuse to fill out or send in the paperwork that is required for CVERAP, or threaten or attempt to evict someone because they seek to pay rent with CVERAP. Violating the LAD may subject a landlord to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation in addition to money damages to the tenant. Visit https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcr/downloads/fact_SOI.pdf to find out more about the LAD’s protections for people receiving rental assistance.

Landlords will also be required to sign an agreement upon completion of their owner verification documentation (W9, Direct Deposit, etc.) in which they must agree that they will not evict the tenant for any period of time in which the tenant receives assistance. They must also agree to withdraw any eviction complaint for that period.

SHOULD I STOP PAYING MY RENT AS SOON AS I AM SELECTED FOR THE LOTTERY?

No, if you can pay all or part of your rent, you should continue paying until you are notified by DCA that you have been fully accepted into the program and that DCA has issued a rental payment to your property owner. If you pay rent for a month that will be covered by this program, your property owner will be required to provide a credit for future rent due for that payment.

I RECEIVED AN AWARD LETTER FOR ASSISTANCE FOR MY TENANT(S), BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY PAYMENT. WHEN SHOULD I EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE CHECK?

In most cases, you should receive the assistance check within 30 days of your approval notice. If you have not received your payment within this time frame, please call our customer care team at 609-490-4550 who will be able to further support you in obtaining a status on your check or support you in reporting lost or stolen checks. .

WILL THE HOUSING ASSITANCE GO DIRECTLY TO ME?

No, it will go directly to your property owner. However, it is a violation of NJ Law Against Discrimination for a landlord not to accept payments as stated below:

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), enforced by the Division on Civil Rights, prohibits discrimination and harassment in housing based on the source of lawful income a tenant uses to pay rent, including the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CVERAP). That means that a landlord cannot refuse to accept CVERAP, refuse to fill out or send in the paperwork that is required for CVERAP, or threaten or attempt to evict someone because they seek to pay rent with CVERAP. Violating the LAD may subject a landlord to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation in addition to money damages to the tenant. Visit https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcr/downloads/fact_SOI.pdf to find out more about the LAD’s protections for people receiving rental assistance. .

I AM A LANDLORD; HOW WILL I KNOW IF ONE OF THEIR TENANTS WILL RECEIVE ASSISTANCE THROUGH CVERAP?

You will receive a letter from Nan McKay & Associates on behalf of the NJDCA stating your tenant was approved for assistance, along with the estimated amount of the rental assistance.

I AM A LANDLORD, HOW DO I RECEIVE THE CVERAP PAYMENTS?

You will receive your payments by direct deposit or by check. Direct deposit is the quickest and more viable option.

IF A TENANT MOVES BEFORE THE APPROVED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, DO I HAVE TO PAY BACK THE CVERAP PAYMENTS?

Yes, if you received a check after the tenant has moved out, the payment must be returned.

I AM THE LANDLORD FOR THIS APPLICANT, AND I HAVE JUST RECEIVED FUNDS FROM THE NJDCA FOR ARREARS, HOWEVER, THE APPLICANT IS UP-TO-DATE/CURRENT WITH THEIR PAYMENTS. AM I TO SEND THE FUNDS BACK TO NJDCA???

You, as the landlord, can choose to reallocate the funds paid by your applicant to future obligations in order to utilize the NJDCA funds for the arrears months that they were originally intended to pay for.

IF I HAVE TO RETURN THE CVERAP PAYMENT, WHERE WOULD I SEND THE CHECK TO?

NJ Department of Community Affairs
P O Box 051
Trenton, NJ 08625
Attn DCA - Payment Unit - COVID

I AM A LANDLORD, WHAT DOCUMENTATION WILL YOU NEED FROM ME?

You will need to provide a recent tax bill to verify that you are the legal owner of the subject property. You will receive a Landlord/Owner packet that includes the following documents:

·         Landlord Certification Form

·         Direct Deposit Authorization form

·         W9 IRS form

·         If you are a property management company, you will need to provide agreement.

WHAT DOCUMENTS WOULD I NEED TO PROVIDE TO PROVE THAT THE TENANT IS MY TENANT?

·         Signed lease, tenant agreement or landlord certification

·         Documentation of residence, including utility bills, attestation by a property owner who can be identified as the verified owner or management agent of the unit

·         Other reasonable documentation

Submit a Service Request

Please submit a service request and our team will get in contact with you.

If you would like to speak with a live person, please call our customer care line

• 1. Call our Customer Care Line at 609-490-4550
• 2. Select Language Preference (1 for English, 2 for Spanish)
• 3. Press 2 for Owners
• 4. Press 1 for 1099 Inquiries