380 HOUSING CODE VIOLATIONS AT JOURNAL SQUARED
Obstructed fire escapes, missing or faulty carbon monoxide alarms.
Residents can take action.
Journal Squared’s towers had 380 open housing code violations from just one inspection last October listed on the state’s website.
12 are marked as a threat to life safety.
Are you interested in more information?
Register your interest in an information session.
Your landlord is responsible for keeping your building clean and free of infestation and hazards. Did you know they are responsible for:
Pest control
Dealing with noises, lights, smells, or vibrations that might be harmful to your health
Removing weeds, broken glass, roots, garbage, and debris from the exterior premises and dealing with any potential hazards or unsanitary conditions, including ice, snow, holes, pet excretions, broken steps and obstructed paths
Ensuring that any flooding in the premises drains within one hour of a storm ending
Preventing and fixing leaks and draft
Keeping all floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces in good repair and clean
Ensuring that all doors can be easily opened and closed
Keeping stairways free of hazards, such as loose steps or torn carpeting
Providing adequate (leak-proof) garbage receptacles, located out of the way
Posting the contact details of a maintenance worker up in the building, unless they live on the premises
Keeping elevators in good working order and free of hazards; conducting preventive maintenance on elevators
Illuminating entrances, exits and common areas
Ensuring that habitable rooms have windows and ventilation
Providing window guards if requested by tenants with children under the age of 10
What can I do?
- If you have not already, contact building management to notify them of the issue and their responsibility to address it. You can try the following numbers: 201-685-8801, 201-357-1021
- If you have already tried that, or do not receive a swift or adequate response, take it public. Leaving a Google review or Instagram comment which outlines your issue is much more likely to result in timely and effective action.
- File a complaint. If a landlord has not upheld their legal obligations to maintain the building to the legal minimum standard, you can apply for a rent reduction, pursuant to Jersey City Ordinance § 260-14.
- If your issue poses a health risk, such as mold, reach out to the Health Department for an inspection at (201)-547-6800.
- For other violations such as broken fixtures, reach out to the Residents Response Center for an inspection at (201) -547- 4900.
- Once they have conducted an inspection, apply for a ‘Failure to Maintain Service’ Petition attaching a copy of the inspection report and any photos or other supporting documents. The city will then conduct a hearing with your landlord and make a decision.
- Talk to other residents in your building. It may be that they are experiencing similar problems. Building management may take a letter from a group of tenants more seriously.
- Escalate the issue. If your problems are still not being addressed, let us know – we can help connect you with a councilperson that may be able to escalate the issue.
Stay informed about 32BJ SEIU’s campaign to hold landlords accountable in Jersey City.
DISCLAIMER: There is no guarantee that violations cited in Journal Squared’s inspection report will qualify for a rent reduction.
SEIU 32BJ is fighting for the common interests of workers and tenants in Jersey City. We want to ensure that building owners profiting from the city’s building boom are delivering on their promise to make Jersey City a better place. That means raising standards for residential workers, who continue to be denied decent wages and benefits. We are also taking steps to address the housing crisis – by supporting a bill to ban rent-setting algorithms that drive up rents, investigating junk rental fees, and helping tenants to get problems in their buildings addressed.