New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency

Small Landlord Emergency Grant Program - Round 1

Applications for the Small Landlord Emergency Grant (SLEG) Program are now closed.  

View the list of properties that received grant funding in Round 1

For COVID-19 updates and resources, visit the State of New Jersey's COVID-19 Information Hub.

The SLEG Program provides financial support for small rental property owners (and, indirectly, to renters) who are struggling due to the COVID-19 emergency in the State of New Jersey. The Program will reimburse small landlords for rent payments that were missed or reduced in April, May, June, and/or July 2020. Only properties with low-to-moderate rent levels are eligible (see Eligibility Criteria below for more information). 

Please note: grantees must pass the benefit on to their tenants by forgiving outstanding back rent and late fees for COVID-impacted units for the April-July 2020 period.

To be eligible for the SLEG Program, the applicant and the applicant’s rental property have to meet the eligibility criteria. 

The applicant must:

  • Be the Primary Property Owner of a residential rental property (i.e., not condominium or cooperative) property in New Jersey and registered as such with New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ (NJDCA) on the Bureau of Housing Inspection Registration Inspection Management System (RIMS) database. You must be registered as of July 17, 2020.
  • NOT be a government entity or public housing authority.  
  • Be current on all state and local tax obligations.  

The applicant’s property must:

  • Contain at least 3 and no more than 10 total housing units. 
  • NOT be a seasonal or vacation rental property.  
  • Have, if available, a fire inspection certificate, current as of December 31, 2019, from the Local Enforcement Agency responsible for fire safety. 
  • Please note: If your municipality does not issue a yearly fire certificate, or has not issued one due to COVID-19, this above requirement will be waived. However, NJHMFA reserves the right to screen the property for outstanding life safety code violations in NJDCA’s RIMS database.
  • Contain at least one non-vacant COVID-impacted unit with a net rent deficit between April and July 2020. This means that the total rent due from the tenant in this four-month period exceeds the rent the landlord received during this period.
  • Rents charged to COVID-impacted unit(s) are no greater than the maximum rent thresholds listed in the table below. If a unit has an above-threshold rent for its bedroom size, that unit is ineligible for assistance.
Maximum Rent Thresholds by Bedroom Size        
County of Rental Property  Studio   1-Bedroom   2-Bedroom  3-Bedroom 4-Bedroom 5-Bedroom

Atlantic County

1,182 1,266 1,518 1,754 1,956 2,159
Bergen County 1,504  1,611 1,932 2,232 2,490 2,748
Burlington County 1,354 1,450 1,740 2,010 2,242 2,474
Camden County 1,354 1,450 1,740 2,010 2,242 2,474
Cape May County 1,202 1,288 1,546 1,785 1,992 2,197
Cumberland County 1,028 1,102 1,322 1,527 1,704 1,880
Essex County 1,496 1,603 1,924 2,222 2,478 2,735
Goucester County 1,354 1,450 1,740 2,010 2,242 2,474
Hudson County 1,382 1,480 1,776 2,051 2,288 2,525
Hunterdon County 1,674 1,793 2,152 2,486 2,774 3,060
Mercer County 1,564 1,676 2,012 2,324 2,592 2,861
Middlesex County 1,674 1,793 2,152 2,486 2,774 3,060
Monmouth County 1,532 1,642 1,970 2,276 2,540 2,802
Morris County 1,496 1,603 1,924 2,222 2,478 2,735
Ocean County 1,532 1,642 1,970 2,276 2,540 2,802
Passaic County 1,504 1,611 1,932 2,232 2,490 2,748
Salem County 1,354 1,450 1,740 2,010 2,242 2,474
Somerset County 1,674 1,793 2,152 2,486 2,774 3,060
Sussex County 1,496 1,603 1,924 2,222 2,478 2,735
Union County 1,496 1,603 1,924 2,222 2,478 2,735
Warren County 1,448 1,552 1,862 2,151 2,400 2,648