Getting your deposit back in Camden County, NJ: the courthouse, the boards, and who helps
You do not need a lawyer to sue for a deposit here. On the county's median rent, a full-deposit case lands in Small Claims at the Camden courthouse - but that depends on your deposit, not the median, and the check below settles it. The rules behind it are the state's, not the county's: New Jersey law governs the deposit in all 36 municipalities, for the 71,508 households that rent here. What is local is everything around the rule: which courthouse hears the case, which towns keep a rent board, where the landlord is registered, and who will help for free.
Where you stand
Your deadline, your numbers, and why no Camden County ordinance changes either.
Has your landlord missed the 30-day deadline?
Two fields, ten seconds - the math follows N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1, the same statute in every Camden County town. Add your deposit to see what you can demand and which Camden track the doubled claim lands on.
The rules themselves: 30 days, doubled, one and a half months
These rules come from New Jersey state law, not from the county. We checked the published code of all 36 Camden County municipalities against the state's 2026 survey: not one has a deposit ordinance of its own, so a landlord who tells you it works differently in Camden, Cherry Hill or Chesilhurst is wrong.
The Rent Security Deposit Act, N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 to 46:8-26, reads the same in every Camden County town. The New Jersey page has the full text and the case law; this is the short version.
- 30 days
- to return it after you move out
- 2x
- what a court awards on money wrongfully kept
- 1.5 months
- the most any NJ landlord may collect
The clock starts the day the tenancy ends - usually the day the keys go back - and runs 30 days, five business days if fire, flood or condemnation put you out. Miss it, or keep money without an itemized reason, and the court doubles what was withheld: "shall", not "may", with costs on top. The same doubling applies at the Camden courthouse as anywhere in the state. The statute in full, the exemptions and the case law are on the New Jersey page.
What a deposit dispute looks like in Camden County, in numbers
- $1,402
- median monthly rent
- $2,103
- the most a landlord may hold on it
- 71,508
- renter households - 35% of the county
The median Camden County renter pays $1,402 a month, so the deposit on a median unit tops out at $2,103 - one and a half months is the state cap. If a landlord keeps all of it past the 30 days, the claim is that amount doubled, $4,206, which stays under the $5,000 Small Claims line: a typical full-deposit case in this county is a Small Claims filing, on the short form with the $35 fee. Only a deposit above $2,500 doubles past it into the Special Civil Part.
Rent boards exist in 8 of the 36 municipalities
Rent control is the one landlord-tenant rule New Jersey towns set locally, and 8 towns in Camden County keep a board. None of it touches deposits - the cap and the 30 days are the state's everywhere - but a board knows its local landlords, which is worth a call when a management company has gone quiet.
The 8 Camden County boards, and the towns without one
| Municipality | Covers | Annual limit | Board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | every rental unit | Lesser of Philadelphia metro area CPI and 6% | Bureau of Rent Control (856) 757-7278 |
| Cherry Hill | every rental unit | Base rent times the CPI multiplier, based on the CPI of the Philadelphia-New Jersey local area, not to exceed 5% of Gross Potential Allowable Rent. Hardship increases may be approved. | Rent Review Board (856) 488-7800 |
| Chesilhurst | every rental unit | 1% to 6% based on application to Rent Control Board. Rent surcharges permitted as a result of property tax, water, heating fuel or sewer increases, or capital improvements or hardship. | Rent Control Board (856) 767-4153 |
| Gloucester Township | 4+ and Mobile Homes | If tenant pays heat 4%, if landlord pays heat 4.5%. For mobile homes If tenant pays heat 2.5%, if landlord pays heat 3%. | Rent Stabilization Attorney (856) 374-3534 |
| Haddon | every rental unit | Average increases in CPI for urban wage earner and clerical worker Philadelphia/NJ for 12 month period beginning July of previous year and ending June of current year, not exceeding 4%. | Rent Control Board (856) 833-6265 ext. 6265 |
| Oaklyn | Buildings and mobile home parks of 6+ units | No more than 7% increase yearly if landlord doesn't pay for heat. No more than 10% if landlord does pay for heat. | Rent Control Board (856) 858-2457 |
| Pennsauken | buildings of 6 or more units | Lesser of 4% and percentage change in CPI Delaware Valley Region during previous calendar year. | Rent Stabilization Commission (856) 665-1000 |
| Winslow | Rented mobile homes only | 2.5% | Municipality (609) 567-0700 |
No rent control: Audubon, Audubon Park, Barrington, Bellmawr, Berlin Borough, Berlin Township, Brooklawn, Clementon, Collingswood, Gibbsboro, Gloucester City, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Hi-Nella, Laurel Springs, Lawnside, Magnolia, Merchantville, Mount Ephraim, Pine Hill, Runnemede, Stratford, Tavistock, Voorhees, Waterford, Woodlynne. In those towns the rent is whatever the lease says, and the deposit is still capped at one and a half months of it.
2 towns had a board and dropped it: Lindenwold and Somerdale (repealed October 13, 2021). An older lease may still mention the ordinance; it no longer applies, and it never touched the deposit either way.
The courthouse, and how you file
The Camden window, the form your claim needs, and what it costs here.
Where a Camden County deposit case is filed
Deposit lawsuits go to the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court, which sits by county. You file in the county where the landlord lives or does business - not where you live - and if the landlord is out of state, in the county where the rental is. A Camden tenant whose landlord runs the building from the next county over files there; a Camden tenant with a Camden landlord files here. The Special Civil Part window is in the Camden County Hall of Justice, Room 150.
- The courthouse
- Camden County Hall of Justice
Special Civil Part (Small Claims Section)
101 South 5th Street, Room 150, Camden, NJ 08103 - Phone and hours
- 856-650-9100 ext. 43250
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Small Claims Section
- Claims up to $5,000. Filing fee $35, plus $5 for each additional defendant.
- Special Civil Part
- Claims up to $20,000. Filing fee $50 to $75.
The Camden office in practice
Checked on September 4, 2026 against the court's own pages. Rooms, hours and phone extensions change without notice - confirm with the office before you rely on any line below.
- Special Civil Part / Small Claims line - the courthouse number above
- 856-650-9100 ext. 43250
Free help inside the courthouse. The vicinage's Ombudsman office - Camden County Hall of Justice, 101 South 5th Street, Room 110B, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-650-9100 ext. 43090, [email protected] - explains forms and procedure to people without a lawyer, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Staff cannot give legal advice, but they can tell you which form, which window, and what is missing from your file before you pay the fee.
Settling before the judge. On the hearing date the court sends both sides to a settlement conference first; many deposit cases end there with a payment plan.
Filing here: the Camden County layer
The procedure is the state's - what is local is the window you hand it to. Filing to judgment in New Jersey, in four steps has the sequence, the exhibit stack and the hearing itself. Here is the Camden County layer.
- Before you file
- Send the demand letter by certified mail first, citing N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 and the 30-day deadline, and give it 10 to 14 days. A judge will ask whether the landlord had a chance to pay, and the letter becomes your first exhibit.
- Your form
- Up to $5,000 it is the Small Claims kit; above that the Special Civil Part complaint. Enter your deposit in the check at the top and this page names your form.
- Where to hand it in
- The Special Civil Part window, 101 South 5th Street, Room 150, Camden, NJ 08103 - in person during court hours, by mail to the same address, or online through JEDS. One copy of the complaint per defendant.
- What it costs here
- $35, plus $5 for each additional defendant in Small Claims, $50 to $75 in the Special Civil Part. A fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it - ask the clerk for the form when you file.
The Camden office at 856-650-9100 ext. 43250 can tell you the current wait - count on two to three months from filing to a hearing date in most vicinages.
The forms, from the court itself
Looking things up, and getting help
The landlord's legal name and address, which of 36 Camden County clerks holds it, and who helps for free.
Finding the landlord's mailing address
A demand letter needs an address, and the one on the lease is often a management office that has since moved. Under New Jersey's Landlord Identity Law your landlord had to register the owner's name and address - with the municipal clerk for one- and two-unit buildings, with the state for anything larger - and the clerk's copy is public. The lookup below has the clerk for every one of Camden County's 36 municipalities.
3 Camden County cities run their own rental registries on top of the state filing - an inspection or licensing office that holds the current owner and managing agent for every registered rental. Where your building is in one of them, that office is usually quicker than the clerk.
- Camden · Annual Rental Dwelling Unit Registration (Office of Rent Control) and Certificate of Rental Approval (Housing Bureau) (Department of Code Enforcement - Bureau of Rent Control / Housing Bureau) · 856-757-7278
All owners/landlords register every rental dwelling unit annually with the Office of Rent Control ($25 per unit); the owner/operator/lessor must also register the premises with Code Enforcement before a Certificate of Rental Approval is issued. No public lookup shown; call the Bureau of Rent Control at 856-757-7278 or visit City Hall, 520 Market Street, Room 101, Camden, NJ 08102.
- Cherry Hill · Landlord Registration (Registration Statement of Landlord) and Rental Housing Certificate of Occupancy inspection (Municipal Clerk (landlord registration); Department of Community Development / Property Maintenance (rental CO inspections)) · 856-488-7870
Registration Statement of Landlord filed with the Municipal Clerk lists property owner name/address/phone/email, owner of rental business, corporate registered agent and officers, in-county agent for notices and service of process, managing agent, maintenance employee, 24-hour emergency contact and mortgage holders; rental CO application also records owner and agent contact details. No public lookup shown; contact the Municipal Clerk (820 Mercer Street, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, [email protected], fax 856-488-7893) or Property Maintenance at 856-488-7870.
- Pennsauken · Rental Registration and annual inspection / Rental Certificate of Inspection (one- and two-family dwellings) (Housing / Property Maintenance Division (Code Enforcement Department)) · 856-665-1000 ext. 1411
Annual Rental Registration Application ($350) collects property owner and managing agent details, contact information, tenant information and a floor plan; a Rental Certificate of Inspection is issued for one year. No public lookup shown; call 856-665-1000 ext. 1411 (Suzanne Paul) or the Rental Properties office listed at ext. 145, 5605 N. Crescent Boulevard, Pennsauken, NJ 08110.
Where the landlord's registration is filed: the municipal clerk
New Jersey's Landlord Identity Law makes every landlord file a registration statement - the owner's legal name and address, and the managing agent's - and for one- and two-unit buildings it is filed with the clerk of the municipality the rental is in (larger buildings register with the state Department of Community Affairs). The clerk's copy is a public record. Pick your town for the office that holds it.
All 36 municipal clerks in Camden County
| Municipality | Clerk's office | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Audubon Borough | Borough Hall, 606 W. Nicholson Road, Audubon, NJ 08106 | 856-547-0711 x122 |
| Audubon Park Borough | Audubon Park Municipal Complex, 2 Road C, Audubon Park, NJ 08106 | 856-547-5236 |
| Barrington Borough | 229 Trenton Avenue, Barrington, NJ 08007 | (856) 547-0706 |
| Bellmawr Borough | 21 E. Browning Road, Bellmawr, NJ 08031 | 856-933-1313 |
| Berlin Borough | 59 South White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ 08009 | 856-767-7777 ext. 304 |
| Berlin Township | 135 NJ-73, West Berlin, NJ 08091 | (856) 767-1854 |
| Brooklawn Borough | 301 Christiana Street, Brooklawn, NJ 08030 | 856-456-0750 |
| Camden City | City Hall, Room 105, 520 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102 | 856-757-7000 |
| Cherry Hill Township | 820 Mercer Street, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 | 856-665-6500 |
| Chesilhurst Borough | 201 Grant Ave., Chesilhurst, NJ 08089 | (856) 767-4153 |
| Clementon Borough | 101 Gibbsboro Rd, Clementon, NJ 08021 | (856) 783-0284 |
| Collingswood Borough | Borough Hall, 678 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108 | 856-854-0720 x2115 |
| Gibbsboro Borough | Gibbsboro Borough Hall, 49 Kirkwood Road, Gibbsboro, NJ 08026 | 856-783-6655 |
| Gloucester City | 512 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030 | 856-456-0205 |
| Gloucester Township | Municipal Building, 1261 Chews Landing-Clementon Rd., Laurel Springs, NJ 08021 (mail: P.O. Box 8, Blackwood, NJ 08012) | 856-374-3534 |
| Haddon Heights Borough | 625 Station Avenue, 2nd Floor, Haddon Heights, NJ 08035 | 856-547-7164 Ext. 2 |
| Haddon Township | 135 Haddon Avenue, Haddon Township, NJ 08108 | (856) 854-1176 |
| Haddonfield Borough | 242 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 | 856-429-4700 |
| Hi-Nella Borough | 100 Wykagyl Road, Hi-Nella, NJ 08083 | (856) 784-6237 Ext. 400 |
| Laurel Springs Borough | 723 West Atlantic Avenue, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021 | (856) 784-0500 |
| Lawnside Borough | 4 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Road, Lawnside, NJ 08045 | 856-573-6200 |
| Lindenwold Borough | 15 N. White Horse Pike, Lindenwold, NJ 08021 | 856-783-2121 |
| Magnolia Borough | 438 West Evesham Ave, Magnolia, NJ 08049-1725 | (856) 783-1520 |
| Merchantville Borough | 1 W. Maple Ave, Merchantville, NJ 08109 | 856-662-2474 |
| Mount Ephraim Borough | 121 S. Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim, NJ | (856) 931-1546 |
| Oaklyn Borough | 500 White Horse Pike, Oaklyn, NJ 08107 | (856) 858-2457 |
| Pennsauken Township | 2400 Merchantville Ave., Pennsauken, NJ 08110 | 856-665-1000 Ext. 1200 |
| Pine Hill Borough | 45 West 7th Avenue, Pine Hill, NJ 08021 | (856) 783-7400 |
| Runnemede Borough | 24 North Black Horse Pike, Runnemede, NJ 08078 | 856-939-5161 |
| Somerdale Borough | 105 Kennedy Blvd, Somerdale, NJ 08083 | (856) 783-6320 |
| Stratford Borough | 307 Union Avenue, Stratford, NJ 08084 | (856) 783-0600 |
| Tavistock Borough | - | 856-547-0706 ext. 205 |
| Voorhees Township | 2400 Voorhees Town Center, Voorhees, NJ 08043 | (856) 429-7757 |
| Waterford Township | 2131 Auburn Avenue, Atco, NJ 08004 | (856) 768-2300 |
| Winslow Township | 125 South Route 73, Braddock, NJ 08037-9422 | (609) 567-0700 Ext. 8000 |
| Woodlynne Borough | 200 Cooper Ave, Woodlynne, NJ 08107 | (856) 962-8300 |
List from the county's own directory, checked September 4, 2026.
Free help in Camden County
- South Jersey Legal Services - Camden County office · 856-964-2010
745 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102. Free civil legal help for lower-income residents, including tenant matters.
- Volunteer Lawyers for Justice · 973-645-1955
Statewide pro bono program that helps tenants draft deposit demand letters and prepare pro se complaints against landlords who kept a deposit.
- Legal Services of New Jersey hotline · 1-888-576-5529
Statewide intake line for free legal help, 1-888-LSNJ-LAW.
If it goes wrong
What losing costs, whether they can retaliate, and how a Camden County judgment is actually collected.
Before you file: the three things people worry about
- What if I lose?
- You are out the filing fee and the time. You are the one suing, so losing leaves you where you started and puts no eviction on your record. What losing actually costs - and the one point most failed claims turn on - is on the New Jersey suing page.
- Can the landlord retaliate?
- After a move-out, barely - the tenancy is over and you are the plaintiff. If you still rent from them, New Jersey bars reprisals for exercising a legal right. The full answer is on the New Jersey suing page; in Camden County the ombudsman at the Camden County Hall of Justice and South Jersey Legal Services - Camden County office both take the question in person, for free.
- If I win, how do I get paid?
- The court does not collect for you - a judgment is an instrument you enforce, and judgments against landlords are unusually collectable. Collecting your judgment walks through levy, garnishment and liens. The writ is issued by the Vicinage 4 (Camden) clerk at the same Camden window you filed at.
Build your case
The case builder runs on New Jersey law, which is exactly the law that applies here. It checks the 30-day deadline against your move-out date, grades each deduction, and writes the demand letter with the statute cited - the letter that becomes Exhibit A at the Camden courthouse if it comes to that.
Build your case →Sources
- NJ Department of Community Affairs, 2026 Rent Control Survey (all 564 municipalities)
- Superior Court of New Jersey, Vicinage 4 (Camden) - NJ Courts Special Civil Part directory, 2024-11-13
- Superior Court of New Jersey, Vicinage 4 (Camden) - Hall of Justice address only
- NJ Courts, Camden vicinage - offices and ombudsman pages
- NJ Courts, Lawsuits $5,000 or less (Small Claims)
- South Jersey Legal Services - Camden County office
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year, tables B25064 and B25003 (via Census Reporter)
- Rent Security Deposit Act, N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 to 46:8-26 (official text)
Court, board and legal-aid details checked on September 4, 2026. Phone numbers and fees change; confirm with the office before you rely on one. Not reviewed by a licensed attorney, and not legal advice.