N.J. Stat. Ann. § 55:13A-1 et seq. § 55:13A-20
Service of notices, rules, decisions, orders
Operative Text
20. (a) Notices, rules, decisions, and orders required or permitted to be issued and served pursuant to P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-1 et seq.), except as otherwise provided for a notice of noncompliance issued for a potentially hazardous violation pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (d) of section 13 of P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-13), shall be served as follows: (1) On the owner: (i) By mailing same by certified or ordinary mail to the person designated as owner or agent on the certificate of registration or in the municipal tax records or in the records of the Department of the Treasury; or (ii) By serving same on the owner, or upon a person authorized to accept service on behalf of the owner in a civil matter, in accordance with the Rules of Court. (2) On the occupant: (i) By mailing same by certified or ordinary mail to said occupant; (ii) By serving same on the Department of the Treasury, who shall be deemed the owner's agent for service of process, provided however, that reasonable efforts have first been made to serve the owner or his agent by certified mail and that a copy of such notice is posted in a conspicuous location on the premises. "Conspicuous location" shall include the walls of the front vestibule or in any common foyer or hallway immediately inside the main front entrance; or (iii) By leaving same at the dwelling unit of the occupant with a competent member of the household of the age of 14 or over. (b) The date of service shall be considered the date of personal service, the date of other method of service authorized under this section, or the date of the third day after mailing, whichever occurs first. L.1967, c.76, s.20; amended 1970, c.138, s.12; 2019, c.202, s.3; 2023, c.338, s.3.
Section 55:13A-20 of New Jersey's Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law establishes the official methods by which government notices, rules, decisions, and orders must be delivered to property owners and occupants under N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq. Owners may be reached by certified or ordinary mail sent to the address on file with registration or tax records, or by formal court-rules service. Occupants may be reached by mail, by posting notice conspicuously on the premises after reasonable attempts to reach the owner, or by leaving the document with a competent household member aged 14 or older. The provision also specifies that service is considered complete on the date of personal delivery, the date of another authorized method, or three days after mailing, whichever comes first.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 55:13A-20, compliant property owners and managers generally ensure that their registration certificates and municipal tax records reflect current, accurate contact information for the designated owner or agent, since that is the address to which official notices will be mailed. Operators familiar with this provision understand that certified or ordinary mail to the registered address constitutes valid service, meaning a notice can be legally effective even if it goes unchecked. Keeping registration records up to date and promptly reviewing any certified mail from state or local authorities are practices consistent with operating within the framework of N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 55:13A-20 establishes that occupants are entitled to receive official notices through specific, defined channels — including mail to their unit or delivery to a competent household member aged 14 or older — which means there are procedural standards governing whether a notice was validly served. Tenants who believe a notice was not delivered in accordance with the methods outlined in N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq. may have grounds to raise a service defect in any related proceeding. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help occupants understand whether the service they received — or did not receive — met the requirements of § 55:13A-20.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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