Morris, Essex landlords broke law with limits on emotional support animals, NJ says

Apartment complexes in Parsippany, Verona and four other New Jersey towns likely violated the rights of residents to keep emotional support animals , the state Attorney General's Office said this week, in an announcement that highlighted new legal protections for people with disabilities.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced his office had found "probable cause" of violations and would further investigate the cases, including allegations against Rutgers Village Apartments in Parsippany and the Claridge House in Verona.

The actions, announced Monday, are part of a broader effort to enforce the state's Law Against Discrimination, which protects people with disabilities from unfair treatment in housing, employment and public spaces, according to Platkin’s office.

“New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination, one of the nation’s oldest and most powerful civil rights laws, protects the right of all New Jerseyans with disabilities to request and obtain reasonable accommodations in housing,” said Platkin. “We are sending a message to all housing providers this Disability Pride Month: Providing reasonable accommodations is not optional, and if you violate our laws, we will hold you accountable.”

Rutgers Village, a large apartment complex in Parsippany, demanded a tenant's doctor provide testimony under oath after the tenant requested permission to have a support animal. In doing so, management violated provisions of the law prohibiting such requirements, officials said.

Claridge House in Verona was found to have unlawfully denied a request for an emotional support animal after a condo owner rejected a doctor's letter that met state requirements.

NJ Supreme Court ruling on support animals

Platkin's office said it was guided by a March 2024 decision by the state’s Supreme Court that said emotional support animals play a key role in helping “people who struggle with mental health issues and other disabilities, and can enable them to function better in their everyday lives.”

In doing so, the court made clear that residents with disabilities are entitled to accommodations, even when a no-pet policy is in place, the AG's office said.

Other properties across New Jersey that allegedly did not accommodate requests for emotional support animals included Lonaconing Apartments in Berlin, where management demanded unnecessary certifications and had restrictions on breed and size, the state said. Managers also illegally required deposits for assistance animals, according to officials.

More: The right to an emotional support dog: Hackensack woman fights for her service animals

Hamilton Gardens in East Orange was cited for ignoring a tenant who emailed for permission to have a cat as an emotional support animal. Parkview Towers in Collingswood mistakenly thought it had the right to deny requests for emotional support animals “based on an incorrect understanding of their legal obligations,” officials said.

The owner of a Jersey City apartment complex, meanwhile, posted notices around the apartment complex expressly banning assistance and emotional support animals from the property, the state said.

Providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities is mandatory, Platkin's office said. Penalties of up to $10,000 per violation can be levied against first-time offenders. That climbs to $50,000 per violation for multiple violations within a five-year period.

The findings represent only a "reasonable suspicion" that violations occurred and will be followed by further investigation, Platkin's office said.

Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

Email: myers@northjersey.com

Twitter: @myersgene

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Morris, Essex landlords broke law with limits on emotional support animals, NJ says