The New Jersey LT-1 Verified Complaint (form CN 10527) is the official Special Civil Part pleading a landlord files in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, to start a summary dispossess action and recover possession of a residential or commercial rental unit from a tenant. Every landlord seeking eviction in New Jersey must file this exact form because no other complaint will be accepted by the Landlord/Tenant Section of the Special Civil Part.
The stakes are high, and the form is unforgiving. New Jersey courts process roughly 40,000 to 50,000 landlord/tenant filings every year, and a meaningful share are dismissed at the door for defective pleadings, missing the Certificate of Registration, or pleading the wrong statutory ground under the Anti-Eviction Act. A dismissal forces you to re-serve notices, re-pay fees, and lose another month of rent.
In this guide you will learn:
- 📋 How to complete every box, line, and certification on the LT-1 without triggering a dismissal
- ⚖️ How to plead the correct statutory cause of action under the Anti-Eviction Act or N.J.S.A. 2A:18-53
- 💵 The exact filing fees, service fees, and mileage costs charged by the Special Civil Part in 2026
- 🖥️ How to file through JEDS, by mail, or in person at the courthouse
- 🚫 The ten most common mistakes landlords make on the LT-1 and the direct consequence of each
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
The LT-1 Verified Complaint, revision CN 10527 (revised 06/2024), is the charging document that opens a summary dispossess case in the Landlord/Tenant Section of the Special Civil Part. It tells the court who the landlord is, who the tenant is, where the rental property sits, what the lease says, what the tenant did wrong, and which New Jersey statute authorizes the eviction. The court clerk uses the LT-1 to issue a Summons (LT-2) and set a trial date, usually within three weeks of filing.
Anyone who owns or manages a rental property in New Jersey and wants to remove a tenant through the courts must file an LT-1. This includes individual small landlords, LLC-owned rentals, condominium owners renting out units, mobile home park operators, rooming and boarding house owners, and commercial landlords. Self-help eviction, lockouts, utility shutoffs, and “constructive eviction” tactics are illegal under N.J.S.A. 2A:39-1, and the LT-1 is the only lawful path to recover possession.
Two different statutes drive the form. Residential evictions are governed by the Anti-Eviction Act, N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1, which requires the landlord to plead one of eighteen good-cause grounds labeled (a) through (r). Owner-occupied buildings of two or fewer rental units, most commercial properties, hotels, and seasonal rentals fall under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-53, which uses three simpler grounds: holdover, nonpayment, and breach of lease covenants. Picking the wrong statute is the single fastest way to lose your case.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
The LT-1 only takes about thirty minutes to fill out once you have the right paperwork in front of you. Trying to draft it from memory almost always produces a defective complaint. Set aside an hour, gather the items below, and lay them out before you open the form.
- Signed lease or written rental agreement. You must attach the current lease or describe the oral lease in detail; without it the court cannot determine the rent, term, or covenants you claim were breached.
- Certificate of Registration filed under N.J.S.A. 46:8-27. Multi-family landlords register with the Bureau of Housing Inspection, and one- or two-unit owner-occupied buildings register with the municipal clerk; failure to attach this certificate is grounds for dismissal under N.J.S.A. 46:8-33.
- Rent ledger or payment history. You need exact dates and amounts of every payment received and missed for the period you are suing on, because the trial judge will ask you to recite the numbers under oath.
- Notice to Cease and Notice to Quit (when required). Most Anti-Eviction Act grounds, except subsection (a) nonpayment, require predicate notices served by certified mail or personal delivery before the LT-1 can be filed.
- Proof of service of those notices. Certified-mail green cards, USPS tracking printouts, or process-server affidavits prove the tenant received the notices on a specific date.
- Government-issued landlord ID or LLC formation paperwork. If the landlord is an LLC or corporation, the entity must be represented by a New Jersey attorney in court except for very small landlords who qualify under Rule 1:21-1(c) for limited self-representation.
- Truth-in-Renting Statement receipt. Buildings with three or more units must give every tenant the Truth-in-Renting Statement, and proof of delivery should be in your file.
- Section 8, LIHTC, or other subsidy paperwork. Subsidized tenancies require additional pre-filing notice under 24 C.F.R. § 247 or HUD handbook 4350.3, and the LT-1 must reference compliance.
- Filing fee payment method. Have a credit card ready for JEDS, or a check or money order payable to “Treasurer, State of New Jersey” for paper filings.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official LT-1 is hosted by the New Jersey Judiciary on its Landlord/Tenant Forms page and is published as a free, fillable PDF. Never use a third-party version pulled from a forms website, because vendors often distribute outdated revisions that the clerk will reject when the box numbering does not match. Confirm the bottom-left footer reads CN 10527 and shows a revision date of 06/2024 or later.
The form is also available in printed form at every Special Civil Part Clerk’s Office in all twenty-one New Jersey counties. The Hudson County Vicinage and Essex County Vicinage keep large stacks at the public counter because they handle the highest landlord/tenant volume in the state. If you walk in to pick up a paper copy, also grab the companion Case Information Statement (LCIS, CN 11713) and the Verification and Certification page, which the clerk staples behind the LT-1.
Spanish-language versions are published as CN 12476 for tenants who request translated court documents under Directive #01-17, but the landlord still files the English LT-1. Large-print, Braille, and ASL accommodations are requested through the vicinage ADA Coordinator. Save a clean blank copy locally, because you will use the same template for every future filing.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out LT-1 Verified Complaint Line by Line
The LT-1 is a four-page document broken into a caption block, an eight-paragraph body, a prayer for relief, a verification, and an attorney certification under Rule 1:38-7(b). Each numbered paragraph below corresponds to a numbered field or block on the official form. Work through the form top to bottom, and never leave a numbered paragraph blank — write “N/A” if the paragraph does not apply to your case.
Caption: County, Docket Number, and Court Information
The caption block sits at the very top of page one and identifies the court, county, and docket number. The clerk fills in the docket number when the case is opened, but you must select the correct vicinage and write “Special Civil Part — Landlord/Tenant Section” under the court name.
The field asks which Superior Court vicinage will hear the case. You must file in the county where the rental property is located, not where the landlord lives, because venue is controlled by Rule 6:1-2(a)(2). For a property in Newark, Maria Ortiz writes “ESSEX COUNTY” in all caps on the county line. The most common nuance is properties that straddle municipal lines, where the tax assessor’s record controls.
A common mistake is filing in the county where the landlord’s mailing address sits, which causes the case to be transferred or dismissed for improper venue. The misconception filers carry is that “Special Civil Part” and “Small Claims” are the same; they are not, and writing “Small Claims” on the caption line will cause the clerk to reroute your case to the wrong section.
Plaintiff Information Block: Landlord Name and Address
This block asks for the legal name of the landlord and the address where the landlord receives mail. Use the exact name printed on the deed or on the Certificate of Registration, not a “doing business as” name unless the d/b/a is registered with the New Jersey Division of Revenue.
You enter the landlord’s full legal name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code on the lines provided. Sunrise Holdings LLC writes “Sunrise Holdings LLC, 220 Market Street, Suite 4, Newark, NJ 07102” across the four lines. The nuance most LLC landlords miss is that the registered agent’s address may differ from the mailing address, and the court uses the address in the caption to send all notices.
The most common mistake is naming only one co-owner when title is held jointly, which leaves a missing-party defense for the tenant. Filers also wrongly believe a property manager can sue in the manager’s own name; under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-67 the real party in interest is the owner, and the manager appears as agent only.
Defendant Information Block: Tenant Name and Property Address
This block names the tenant or tenants and lists the rental property address. You must list every adult occupant who signed the lease, plus “John Doe” and “Jane Doe” placeholders for any unknown adult occupants you want bound by the judgment.
Enter each tenant’s full legal name on a separate line, followed by the rental unit’s full street address, including apartment or unit number. David Kim writes “Rachel Greene and John Doe, 47 Pine Street, Apt. 3B, Jersey City, NJ 07302” on the defendant lines. The nuance is that the rental property address goes in the defendant block, not the plaintiff block, because the warrant of removal is served at the property.
A common mistake is leaving off the apartment number, which causes the Special Civil Part Officer to serve the wrong unit and voids the warrant. The misconception is that listing only the lease signer is enough; if the signer’s adult partner is not named, the partner can stay after the lockout and force a new filing.
Paragraph 1: Landlord-Tenant Relationship and Lease Terms
Paragraph 1 asks you to state that a landlord-tenant relationship exists and to describe the lease. Check the box for “written” or “oral,” and fill in the start date, the monthly rent, and the day of the month rent is due.
Write the lease start date in MM/DD/YYYY format, the rent as a dollar figure with cents (for example $1,850.00), and the due date as a calendar day. Maria Ortiz writes “Written lease dated 04/01/2024, monthly rent $1,850.00, due on the 1st day of each month.” The nuance for month-to-month tenancies is that you write the original start date, not the most recent renewal date.
A common mistake is listing the “total rent” for the lease term instead of the monthly amount, which makes the judgment for possession unenforceable because the warrant amount is wrong. The misconception is that an expired written lease becomes “oral” automatically; under N.J.S.A. 46:8-10 it converts to a month-to-month tenancy on the same written terms.
Paragraph 2: Registration of Landlord Certificate
Paragraph 2 requires the landlord to certify that the property is registered under N.J.S.A. 46:8-27 and to attach a copy of the Certificate of Registration. The form provides a checkbox stating the certificate is attached as Exhibit A.
Check the box, fill in the registration number assigned by the DCA Bureau of Housing Inspection or the municipal clerk, and staple the certificate behind the LT-1. Sunrise Holdings LLC writes “Registration No. 0714-04321, attached as Exhibit A.” The nuance is that owner-occupied two-family homes register with the municipality, while three-or-more-unit buildings register with the state.
A common mistake is skipping this paragraph because the landlord “knows” the property is registered, which causes mandatory dismissal under the holding in Sudersan v. Royal. The misconception is that condominium unit owners are exempt; they are not, and unit-by-unit registration is required even in a larger condo building.
Paragraph 3: Cause of Action Under the Anti-Eviction Act
Paragraph 3 is the most important paragraph on the form. You must select one or more of the eighteen good-cause grounds under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1, or check the box for N.J.S.A. 2A:18-53 for properties exempt from the Anti-Eviction Act.
Check the appropriate subsection box — (a) for nonpayment of rent, (b) for disorderly conduct, (c) for willful damage, (d) for substantial lease violation, (e)(1) for habitual late payment, (e)(2) for violation of reasonable rules, (j) for refusal of reasonable lease changes, (k) for owner personal use, (l) for sale to owner-occupant, and so on. Janet Brown checks box “(e)(1) habitual late payment after notice” for a tenant repeatedly paying after the fifth of the month. The nuance is you can plead in the alternative — for example (a) and (e)(1) together — if the facts support both.
A common mistake is checking (a) nonpayment of rent and adding late fees or attorneys’ fees to the rent demand, which is barred unless the lease defines those charges as “additional rent” under Community Realty Management v. Harris. The misconception is that any lease violation supports eviction; under subsection (d) the violation must be “substantial” and the landlord must serve a Notice to Cease before a Notice to Quit.
Paragraph 4: Rent Due and Owing
Paragraph 4 asks for the exact amount of base rent due and the months it covers. This paragraph only applies if you checked subsection (a) for nonpayment of rent.
List each month and the amount unpaid for that month, then total the figures. Rachel Greene writes “March 2026 — $1,850.00; April 2026 — $1,850.00; May 2026 — $1,850.00; Total — $5,550.00.” The nuance is you must exclude late fees, attorneys’ fees, NSF fees, and utility reimbursements unless your lease specifically calls them additional rent.
A common mistake is rolling late fees into the rent total, which lets the tenant deposit only the base rent into court under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-55 and dismiss the case. The misconception is that partial payment after filing keeps the case alive; in fact, accepting any rent for a period after the breach can waive the eviction unless you accept “for use and occupancy only” in writing.
Paragraph 5: Notice to Cease, Notice to Quit, and Demand for Possession
Paragraph 5 documents the predicate notices required for every ground except (a) nonpayment. You attach the notices as exhibits and certify the dates they were served.
Fill in the date the Notice to Cease was served, the date the Notice to Quit and Demand for Possession was served, and the method of service. David Kim writes “Notice to Cease served by certified and regular mail on 02/14/2026; Notice to Quit served by certified and regular mail on 03/20/2026.” The nuance is that the notice period varies by ground — three days for disorderly conduct, one month for habitual late payment, two months for owner occupancy, and three years for personal-use sale.
A common mistake is serving the Notice to Quit before allowing the Notice to Cease to expire, which voids the entire chain and forces you to start over. The misconception is that text messages or emails count as service; under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2 the notice must be served by certified mail, personal delivery, or by leaving it at the unit with a competent household member.
Paragraph 6: Subsidized Housing Disclosure
Paragraph 6 asks whether the tenancy is subsidized by Section 8, LIHTC, public housing, or any other federal or state program. You check yes or no.
If yes, identify the program and attach the additional pre-filing notices required by 24 C.F.R. § 247.4. Sunrise Holdings LLC writes “Yes — HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher; HUD pre-termination notice served 02/15/2026.” The nuance is LIHTC properties also require compliance with IRS Revenue Ruling 2004-82 good-cause requirements, even after the federal compliance period ends.
A common mistake is checking “no” because the landlord forgets the tenant’s voucher status, which causes immediate dismissal once the tenant raises the subsidy defense. The misconception is that Section 8 tenants can be evicted on the same grounds as market tenants; HUD requires the landlord to plead “material noncompliance” or “other good cause,” and Anti-Eviction Act subsections (j), (k), and (l) are unavailable.
Paragraph 7: Demand for Judgment
Paragraph 7 is the prayer for relief. You ask the court to enter judgment for possession, issue a warrant of removal, and tax costs of suit.
Check the boxes for “judgment for possession,” “warrant of removal,” and “costs of suit.” If you pleaded subsection (a) nonpayment, you may also request a money judgment for the unpaid rent in the same paragraph. Maria Ortiz checks all three boxes and writes “Money judgment in the amount of $5,550.00 plus costs.” The nuance is that requesting a money judgment converts the case from a pure summary dispossess into a hybrid action that lets the tenant request a jury trial.
A common mistake is asking for “treble damages” or “punitive damages,” which are not available in summary dispossess and signal to the judge you do not understand the proceeding. The misconception is that the court will award attorneys’ fees automatically; fees are only available if the lease has a one-way fee clause and you make the demand under Rule 4:42-9(a)(8).
Verification and Certification
The verification block at the end of the LT-1 must be signed by the landlord, a corporate officer, or a property manager with personal knowledge. The signer swears under penalty of perjury that the facts in the complaint are true.
Print your name, sign in blue or black ink, and date the verification. Janet Brown signs “Janet Brown, Member, Sunrise Holdings LLC” and dates “05/22/2026.” The nuance is that a property manager can sign the verification only if the manager has personal knowledge of every fact, including the rent ledger and the service of notices.
A common mistake is having an attorney sign the verification when the attorney has no personal knowledge of the rent payments, which renders the verification void under Rule 1:4-7. The misconception is that a notarized verification is required; the LT-1 verification is a self-executing certification under Rule 1:4-4(b) and does not need a notary.
Attorney Certification Under Rule 1:38-7(b)
The final block on the LT-1 is the Rule 1:38-7(b) certification confirming that the filer has redacted personal identifiers — Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and financial account numbers — from the complaint and exhibits.
Sign and date the certification, even if you are filing pro se. David Kim signs his name and dates “05/22/2026” under the certification language. The nuance is that the lease attached as Exhibit A often contains the tenant’s Social Security number, which you must black out before scanning.
A common mistake is leaving the tenant’s full SSN visible on the attached lease, which violates the rule and exposes the landlord to a sanctions motion. The misconception is that the rule applies only to attorneys; it applies to every filer, pro se or represented.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
The three scenarios below walk three named landlords through the LT-1 from start to finish. Each one represents one of the most common eviction fact patterns filed in the Special Civil Part.
Scenario 1: Maria Ortiz — Nonpayment of Rent, Subsection (a)
Maria Ortiz owns a registered three-family in Newark and her second-floor tenant has missed three months of rent.
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| County | ESSEX COUNTY |
| Plaintiff | Maria Ortiz, 18 Roseville Avenue, Newark, NJ 07107 |
| Defendant | Carlos Mendez and John Doe, 18 Roseville Avenue, Apt. 2, Newark, NJ 07107 |
| Paragraph 1 (lease) | Written lease dated 06/01/2024, monthly rent $1,650.00, due on the 1st |
| Paragraph 2 (registration) | Registration No. 0714-09812, Exhibit A |
| Paragraph 3 (cause) | Box (a) nonpayment of rent under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(a) |
| Paragraph 4 (rent owed) | March, April, May 2026 — $4,950.00 total |
| Paragraph 5 (notices) | N/A — subsection (a) requires no Notice to Cease or Quit |
| Paragraph 6 (subsidy) | No subsidy |
| Paragraph 7 (relief) | Possession, warrant of removal, money judgment $4,950.00, costs |
| Verification | Maria Ortiz, signed 05/22/2026 |
Scenario 2: David Kim — Habitual Late Payment, Subsection (e)(1)
David Kim manages a six-unit building in Jersey City for an LLC, and tenant Rachel Greene has paid after the fifth of the month for nine of the last twelve months.
| Form Section | What David Enters |
|---|---|
| County | HUDSON COUNTY |
| Plaintiff | Pine Street Holdings LLC, 47 Pine Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 |
| Defendant | Rachel Greene, 47 Pine Street, Apt. 3B, Jersey City, NJ 07302 |
| Paragraph 1 (lease) | Written lease dated 09/01/2023, monthly rent $2,200.00, due on the 1st |
| Paragraph 2 (registration) | Registration No. 0906-12044, Exhibit A |
| Paragraph 3 (cause) | Box (e)(1) habitual late payment under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(e)(1) |
| Paragraph 5 (notices) | Notice to Cease 02/14/2026; Notice to Quit 03/20/2026, certified mail |
| Paragraph 6 (subsidy) | No subsidy |
| Paragraph 7 (relief) | Possession, warrant of removal, costs of suit |
| Verification | David Kim, Property Manager, signed 05/22/2026 |
Scenario 3: Janet Brown — Substantial Lease Violation, Subsection (d)
Janet Brown rents a single-family home in Toms River, and her tenant has moved in two unauthorized adult occupants and a large dog despite a no-pets clause.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| County | OCEAN COUNTY |
| Plaintiff | Janet Brown, 412 Bay Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08753 |
| Defendant | Thomas Riley and Jane Doe, 89 Lakeview Drive, Toms River, NJ 08753 |
| Paragraph 1 (lease) | Written lease dated 11/01/2024, monthly rent $2,400.00, due on the 1st |
| Paragraph 2 (registration) | Owner-occupied exempt under N.J.S.A. 46:8-28.1 |
| Paragraph 3 (cause) | Box (d) substantial lease violation — unauthorized occupants and pet |
| Paragraph 5 (notices) | Notice to Cease 03/01/2026; Notice to Quit 04/05/2026, personal service |
| Paragraph 6 (subsidy) | No subsidy |
| Paragraph 7 (relief) | Possession, warrant of removal, costs of suit |
| Verification | Janet Brown, signed 05/22/2026 |
How to File the Completed Form
The Special Civil Part accepts the LT-1 through three filing channels in 2026, and each has different mechanics, fees, and processing times. Choose the channel that matches your comfort level and the timing of your case, and keep a date-stamped copy as proof of filing.
The fastest channel is electronic filing through the Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS) portal. JEDS accepts PDF uploads of the LT-1, the LCIS, and all exhibits, charges a filing fee of $50.00 for the first defendant plus $7.00 for each additional defendant, and accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and electronic check payment. Processing time is typically one to three business days, and JEDS sends an email confirmation with the assigned docket number that serves as your proof of filing.
You can also file by mail to the Special Civil Part Clerk for the vicinage where the property sits — for example, Essex County Special Civil Part, 50 West Market Street, Newark, NJ 07102. Mail filings require the original LT-1 plus one copy per defendant, the LCIS, the exhibits, and a check or money order for $50.00 plus $7.00 per additional defendant payable to “Treasurer, State of New Jersey.” Mileage fees for the Special Civil Part Officer’s service of the summons are billed separately, typically $5.00 to $15.00 per defendant depending on distance, and processing takes five to ten business days. Keep your certified mail receipt as proof of filing.
In-person filing at the courthouse counter is the third channel and produces a same-day file-stamped copy. Bring the original, copies for each defendant, the LCIS, exhibits, and payment by cash, check, money order, or credit card. The clerk will hand you a stamped “received” copy that is your proof of filing, and the trial date is usually set fourteen to twenty-one days out.
What Happens After You File
Once the LT-1 is docketed, the clerk issues the LT-2 Summons and assigns a trial date. The Special Civil Part Officer serves the summons and a copy of the verified complaint on the tenant by personal delivery or by posting on the unit door and mailing a copy, under Rule 6:2-3(d)(1).
The trial happens in the landlord/tenant calendar, usually a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning. Both sides appear, the judge calls the case, and the parties either settle through court mediation or proceed to a brief bench trial. If the landlord wins, the judge enters a Judgment for Possession, and the landlord can request a Warrant of Removal three business days later under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-57.
The tenant has the right to apply for an Order for Orderly Removal extending the lockout for up to seven days, and the court can grant a hardship stay of up to six months under N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.6. Once the warrant is issued, the Special Civil Part Officer schedules the lockout, posts a notice on the door at least three business days in advance, and physically returns possession to the landlord at the appointed time.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
Below are the ten most common LT-1 errors and the consequence of each. Fix them before you file, not after the case is dismissed.
- Filing in the wrong county. The case is dismissed for improper venue and you re-pay the filing fee in the correct vicinage.
- Skipping the Certificate of Registration. The complaint is dismissed under N.J.S.A. 46:8-33 and you cannot collect rent until you register and refile.
- Pleading the wrong subsection of the Anti-Eviction Act. The judgment is reversed on appeal and the tenant returns to possession.
- Including late fees or attorneys’ fees in the rent demand. The tenant deposits only base rent and the case is dismissed under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-55.
- Using stale notices. A Notice to Cease older than a “reasonable time” before the Notice to Quit voids the entire chain of notices.
- Naming the wrong landlord. Suing as a property manager instead of the owner causes dismissal for lack of standing.
- Missing John Doe and Jane Doe placeholders. Unnamed adult occupants stay after the lockout and require a new filing.
- Forgetting the subsidized-housing pre-termination notice. Section 8 cases are dismissed when the HUD notice is missing.
- Failing to redact Social Security numbers on the lease exhibit. The court strikes the exhibit and may impose sanctions under Rule 1:38-7.
- Accepting rent after filing without a written use-and-occupancy reservation. The court treats the payment as a waiver and dismisses the case.
Do’s and Don’ts
These quick rules will keep your LT-1 on the rails. Each one reflects a recurring lesson from Special Civil Part trial calendars across the state.
- Do confirm your registration number with the DCA Bureau of Housing Inspection before filing because an invalid number causes immediate dismissal.
- Do serve the Notice to Cease and Notice to Quit by certified mail and regular mail together, because dual service satisfies N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2 even if certified mail is refused.
- Do keep a clean rent ledger with bank deposit dates, because the judge will ask you to recite the numbers under oath.
- Do use the Judiciary’s fillable PDF rather than retyping the form, because the field labels and box numbers must match exactly.
- Do redact Social Security numbers on every exhibit, because Rule 1:38-7 imposes that duty on every filer.
- Do file the LCIS with the LT-1, because the clerk will reject the package without it.
- Don’t accept partial payment after filing without a written use-and-occupancy reservation, because the court treats the payment as a waiver of the breach.
- Don’t check more than one statute box (Anti-Eviction Act and 2A:18-53), because the property is governed by one or the other and not both.
- Don’t sue in the property manager’s name, because only the owner has standing under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-67.
- Don’t ask for treble damages or punitive damages, because they are not available in a summary dispossess action.
- Don’t post the Notice to Quit on the door alone, because posting without mailing is insufficient service.
- Don’t rely on text messages or emails as proof of notice, because the statute requires certified mail or personal delivery.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Many small landlords file the LT-1 pro se to save legal fees, while larger LLC landlords are required to hire counsel. The table below frames the trade-off.
Pros of filing pro se:
- You save $500 to $1,500 in attorneys’ fees per uncontested case, which matters for one-property landlords.
- You learn your own rent ledger, lease, and notices intimately, which makes you a better witness at trial.
- You control the timing of the filing rather than waiting for an attorney’s calendar.
- You can use Legal Services of New Jersey self-help guides and the Judiciary’s landlord/tenant pages for free.
- You build a relationship with the Special Civil Part clerk that helps in future filings.
Cons of filing pro se:
- LLC and corporate landlords cannot represent themselves at trial unless they qualify under Rule 1:21-1(c).
- A single defective notice or exhibit causes dismissal and a four-to-six-week delay.
- You face tenant counsel from Legal Services or pro bono firms who know the Anti-Eviction Act cold.
- You risk waiving rights such as attorneys’ fees and counterclaims that an experienced landlord-tenant attorney would preserve.
- A reversed judgment can leave you owing the tenant’s legal fees under fee-shifting clauses or 42 U.S.C. § 1988 in subsidized cases.
FAQs
Do I have to register the property before I file the LT-1?
Yes. Registration under N.J.S.A. 46:8-27 is mandatory and the certificate must be attached to the LT-1, or the court will dismiss the complaint outright.
Can I evict for nonpayment without serving a Notice to Quit?
Yes. Subsection (a) nonpayment under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2 is the only Anti-Eviction Act ground that does not require a Notice to Cease or a Notice to Quit before filing.
Do I write the lease start date or the renewal date in Paragraph 1?
Yes. Write the original lease start date, because a month-to-month tenancy continues on the original written terms under N.J.S.A. 46:8-10 without a new start date.
Can my LLC file the LT-1 without an attorney?
No. Limited liability companies and corporations must appear through New Jersey counsel except in narrow pro se exceptions under Rule 1:21-1(c) for very small landlords.
Should I check both the Anti-Eviction Act box and the 2A:18-53 box?
No. A property is governed by one statute or the other; check 2A:18-53 only for owner-occupied two-unit homes, hotels, seasonal, and most commercial rentals.
Can I include late fees in the rent demand in Paragraph 4?
No. Late fees are excluded unless the lease specifically defines them as additional rent, and including them lets the tenant dismiss under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-55.
What is the filing fee for the LT-1 in 2026?
Yes. The Special Civil Part charges $50.00 for the first defendant and $7.00 for each additional defendant, plus mileage for the Special Civil Part Officer to serve.
Can I file the LT-1 online through JEDS?
Yes. JEDS accepts the LT-1 as a PDF upload, takes credit card or e-check payment, and returns a docket number within one to three business days.
Do I have to redact the tenant’s Social Security number on the lease exhibit?
Yes. Rule 1:38-7 requires every filer to redact Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and financial account numbers from all filings.
Can I evict a Section 8 tenant the same way as a market tenant?
No. HUD requires a pre-termination notice under 24 C.F.R. § 247 and limits grounds to material noncompliance or other good cause.
How fast can I get a tenant out after filing?
Yes. A typical uncontested nonpayment case reaches a lockout in five to seven weeks: trial in three weeks, judgment, three-business-day wait, and warrant scheduling.
Do I need to attach the lease to the LT-1?
Yes. Attach the lease as Exhibit B, redacted of personal identifiers, because the court must verify the rent amount, due date, and any covenants you claim were breached.
Can I add John Doe and Jane Doe as defendants if I do not know the other occupants’ names?
Yes. Add unknown adult occupants as John Doe and Jane Doe so the warrant of removal binds every adult living in the unit, not just the named lease signer.
What if I accept a partial rent payment after I file?
No. Accepting rent without a written use-and-occupancy reservation waives the breach and the court will dismiss the case at the tenant’s request.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form CN-10470 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey LT-Notice to Quit + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Order for Orderly Removal + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form CN-10510 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out New Jersey Form CN-11261 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Maryland Form DC-CV-082 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Washington Form LT 01 (w/Examples) + FAQs