New Jersey / Union County
Union County security deposit:
find your court and prepare your claim.
Landlord kept your deposit or charged for damage? Start a free analysis of your charges and possible remedies. Filing yourself? Find the Elizabeth court, official NJ forms and an optional preparation worksheet below.
Analysis free · case documents $29, one time · mailing optional
Your Union County court desk
Official court directory ↗- Deposit claims / Special Civil Part
- Union County Courthouse
2 Broad Street, Third Floor
Elizabeth, NJ 07207 - Call before visiting
- 908-787-1650 ext. 22160
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Small Claims / up to $5,000
- $35 filing + $10 mail service for one defendant.
CN 10151: official kit ↗ - Special Civil / $5,000.01 to $20,000
- $75 filing + $10 mail service for one defendant.
CN 10541: official kit ↗
Can I file in this county? For a security-deposit return claim, NJ Courts permits filing where the landlord lives or where the rental property is located. Your new home address alone does not establish venue. Court guide ↗
Compare the claim including applicable penalties, excluding court costs. Additional defendants or service attempts can add fees. Fee details and waivers. Court contacts checked September 4, 2026; confirm before travelling.
More court contacts, rooms and procedural help
The Elizabeth office in practice
- Special Civil Part / Small Claims line - the courthouse number above
- 908-787-1650 ext. 22160
- Mediation and arbitration
- 908-787-1650 ext. 22130
Court forms and procedure: Ombudsman office - Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207, Showing 1 to 17 of 17 items, 908-787-1650 ext. 22300, [email protected]. Confirm the meeting location when booking. Procedural guidance, not legal advice.
Find the right office for your rental address
Use the municipality where the property sits. The clerk, rental registry and rent board can hold different records. They do not replace a court filing for your deposit.
An Elizabeth rent-control record is not a Plainfield inspection record.
Elizabeth lists a Bureau of Rent Control, Plainfield lists Property Maintenance, and Linden lists landlord registration with the City Clerk. Use the municipality and record description before requesting owner or agent details.
Which registration should I request?
For covered one- and two-unit dwellings, the landlord identity form is filed with the municipal clerk; the two-unit owner-occupied exception matters. Larger buildings use DCA registration. Local rental licensing may add another record. A registration is a lead: verify the correct defendant and a permitted service address before filing.
DCA registration form and coverage instructions ↗All 21 municipal clerks in Union County
| Municipality | Clerk's office | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Heights Township | 29 Park Avenue, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 | 908-464-2700 |
| Clark Township | 430 Westfield Avenue, Clark, NJ 07066 | 732-388-3669 |
| Cranford Township | 8 Springfield Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016 | 908-709-7210 |
| Elizabeth City | 50 Winfield Scott Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07201 | 908-820-4131 |
| Fanwood Borough | 75 N. Martine Avenue, Fanwood, NJ 07023 | 908-322-8236 |
| Garwood Borough | 403 South Avenue, Garwood, NJ 07027 | 908-789-0710 |
| Hillside Township | 1409 Liberty Ave, Hillside, NJ 07205 | 973-681-7155 |
| Kenilworth Borough | 567 Boulevard, Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908-276-9090 |
| Linden City | 301 North Wood Avenue, Linden, NJ 07036 | 908-474-8452 |
| Mountainside Borough | 1385 Route 22, Mountainside, NJ 07092 | 908-232-2400 |
| New Providence Borough | 360 Elkwood Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974 | 908-665-1400 |
| Plainfield City | 515 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060 | 908-753-3221 |
| Rahway City | 1 City Hall Plaza, Rahway, NJ 07065 | 732-827-2100 |
| Roselle Borough | 108 West Third Ave, Roselle, NJ 07203 | 908-259-3010 |
| Roselle Park Borough | 110 East Westfield Avenue, Roselle Park, NJ 07204 | 908-245-6222 |
| Scotch Plains Township | 430 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 | 908-322-6700 |
| Springfield Township | 100 Mountain Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081 | 973-912-2201 |
| Summit City | 512 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901 | 908-273-6400 |
| Union Township | 1976 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083 | 908-851-8501 |
| Westfield Town | 425 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ 07090 | 908-789-4030 |
| Winfield Township | 12 Gulfstream Avenue, Winfield, NJ 07036 | 908-925-3850 |
Directory checked September 4, 2026. Confirm office hours and record access before visiting.
Preparing to file yourself?
Use this optional worksheet to calculate your disputed amount, find the matching NJ court forms, and save a timeline and checklist. You can start the free analysis above without filling it out.
How much of your deposit are you disputing?
Subtract refunds and deductions you accept to see your disputed balance.
Enter 0 if nothing was returned. Accepted deductions are optional.
What counts as a deduction I accept?
Only include charges you agree the landlord may keep. Leave this blank if you are unsure; you can review individual charges in the analysis.
Accepting deductions reduces the refund you dispute. It does not waive separate statutory remedies or confirm that the landlord provided a complete statement.
Your disputed amount will appear here after you enter your deposit and refund.
Forms, timeline & checklist
Find the court forms for your entered amount, add costs and a timeline, and download or print your worksheet. These steps are optional before the free analysis.
Additional damages and court costs (optional)
Additional damages are an extra amount, not a total multiplier that already includes the refund. Use the New Jersey remedy rules to avoid counting the deposit twice. Court fees are listed separately; check which amounts your court includes in its limit.
Enter the deposit and amount returned, using non-negative dollar amounts with at most two decimal places.
See a sample calculation
Example only: $1,200 paid, $300 returned, and $100 in deductions accepted leaves $800 disputed. With no additional damages requested, the claim is $800. Example $35 filing and $10 service costs are recorded separately. These are illustrative amounts, not a fee quote. Check the current New Jersey court fee schedule.
Build your timeline (optional)
Record what happened, when, and the exhibit that supports it. Leave events that have not happened blank.
Before you submit: preparation checklist
Download or save your worksheet before leaving this page. Continuing copies these notes into your case. Use the official court forms to file.
New Jersey: security deposit court preparation
Working figures and preparation notes. File using the official court forms.
| Security deposit court preparation worksheet | New Jersey | |
| Working figures only. Use official court forms to file. | ||
| Deposit paid | ||
| Returned | ||
| Deductions accepted | ||
| Additional damages requested | ||
| Legal basis and conditions | ||
| Filing costs | ||
| Service costs | ||
| Applicable court limit | $5,000 | |
| Selected court limit | 5000 | |
| Event | Date | Evidence / notes |
| Deposit paid | ||
| Move-in condition recorded | ||
| Moved out / keys returned | ||
| Refund or deductions received | ||
| Demand or required notice delivered | ||
| Claim served | ||
| Hearing | ||
| Preparation checklist | Status | |
| Confirm the correct court, venue, and claim limit. | To do | |
| Check the filing deadline and any required demand, notice, or cure period. | To do | |
| Confirm each defendant’s legal name and an address where service is permitted. | To do | |
| Explain every disputed deduction and any additional damages separately. | To do | |
| Gather the lease, payment records, deductions, photos, correspondence, and proof of notice. | To do | |
| Use the current court forms; check filing costs and fee-waiver options. | To do | |
| Arrange proper service and file proof by the required deadline. | To do | |
| Check hearing, evidence-exchange, remote attendance, and mediation instructions. | To do |
Check the ordinary NJ return deadline
Estimate timing from your move-out date, then check the tenancy-end date and exceptions in the NJ rules. This check does not add damages or change your form selection.
One state law, local offices
Union County uses New Jersey’s Rent Security Deposit Act. Municipal rent-control rules address separate questions.
- 30 days
- The ordinary return and itemization period after tenancy termination.
- 2x moneys due
- Recovery when the court finds for the tenant under N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1.
- 1.5 months
- The deposit cap for tenancies covered by the Act.
Start with what remains due after refunds and lawful deductions. An expired deadline alone does not establish that the entire deposit must be doubled. Owner-occupied properties with no more than two rental units have a coverage exception, with a tenant notice route to invoke the Act; seasonal rentals and displacement can change the applicable rules.
Inside a sample case
Your charges. A clear argument. A prepared demand.
- Free analysis
- Check your disputed charges and the deposit rules that apply to your case.
- Case documents
$29, one time - Your demand letter, charge-by-charge analysis, damages summary, and evidence checklist in one case PDF.
- Your filing steps
- You review the documents, attach your actual evidence, and file using your court's official forms. Court fees and optional mailing are separate.
See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample New Jersey case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Filing instructions are in this guide.
Turn disputed charges into a clear argument, a damages summary, and an exhibit checklist.
Analysis free · case documents $29, one time · mailing optional
See this sample's charges and calculation
Generated sample · New Jersey case
2026-09-0801 / The disputed charge
Repainting ordinary wall scuffs$900
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible
Supporting evidence: move-in photos and move-out photos.
N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 ↗02 / The calculation
- Deposit paid
- $2,000
- Already returned
- $900
- Accepted deductions
- $200
- Demanded back
- $900
No additional damages in this example. Your facts and New Jersey law determine your analysis.
03 / From the generated demand letter
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
A landlord may still pursue an unpaid accepted charge in a separate claim or counterclaim, so net recovery can be lower. Money already paid or retained toward that charge must be credited. The $200 rent balance retained in this sample is already excluded from the demand.
File through the Union County Special Civil office
First confirm venue and your requested amount. The same NJ Courts kits apply across counties.
- 1. Put your demand in writing. List the disputed charges, subtract refunds and deductions you accept, and explain any additional damages separately. Send the landlord your demand and keep proof of delivery. See a prepared example.
- 2. Complete the official complaint. Use your calculation to choose the kit below. Confirm the defendant’s legal name and service address, and follow the kit’s signing and copy instructions. Above $20,000, review the Civil Part procedure.
- 3. File and check delivery. Follow the kit through JEDS, or confirm mail and in-person intake at 2 Broad Street, Third Floor, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. The court arranges initial mail service. Check its status and contact the office if service fails.
- 4. Prepare for the hearing. Gather the lease, payment records, deductions, photos, messages and proof of your demand. Match each disputed amount to its evidence, and follow your hearing notice for submission deadlines and attendance.
Filing fees, waivers and the court’s full instructions
Small Claims: $35, plus $5 for each additional defendant and $10 mail service per defendant. Special Civil: $50 for a claim up to $5,000 or $75 above $5,000; $5 per additional defendant and $10 mail service per defendant. Ask about a fee waiver if you cannot afford filing. Check the current kits for payment and service details.
More Union County records
All 4 researched rental-registration programs in Union County
An inventory of the programs researched for this guide, not a complete list of all registration duties. For an unlisted town, start with its clerk.
Elizabeth: Rent Control Property Registration - Apartment Building Registration Form (Elizabeth Code 5.70.050) ↗
Department of Administration, Bureau of Rent Control, 50 Winfield Scott Plaza, 1st Floor, Room 116, Elizabeth, NJ 07201-2462
For every non-owner-occupied pre-1996 building with 3+ units: names and addresses of all record owners (and general partners), the corporation's registered agent and officers, an in-county agent authorized to accept tenant notices and service of process, the managing agent, a 24-hour emergency representative and the superintendent - filed annually by March 1 (online via GovPilot). Not stated on the fetched pages; the Bureau answers questions by phone or email ([email protected]), and OPRA to the City Clerk is the formal route.
(908) 820-4181Plainfield: Rental property licensing / Certificate of Compliance for rentals (Plainfield Code Article 5) ↗
Inspections Division, Property Maintenance Unit (Code Enforcement and Inspections Division)
The unit licenses every rental property and issues a Certificate of Compliance before any unit is rented or occupied, so it has a licence application from the owner on file; the owner/agent fields were not visible (site blocked fetching). Not stated; contact the Inspections Division by phone/email ([email protected]) or file an OPRA request.
(908) 753-3375 (Oren K. Dabney Sr.); 908-753-3384 (Athenee Wright); (908) 753-3386 (Leticia Velez, permits/licenses)Linden: Rental Property Registration (Linden Code Chapter 13, Rental Property) for buildings with four or fewer units ↗
City Clerk, Linden City Hall, 301 North Wood Avenue, 2nd Floor, Linden, NJ 07036
Every owner files a registration form per unit with the City Clerk initially, yearly and at each change of occupancy, and only occupants on file with the Clerk may reside there; the form's owner fields were not visible (site redirects scripted fetches). Not stated; the City Clerk's office is open Mondays 10am-4pm by appointment per the search snippet, and an OPRA request to the Clerk is the formal route.
Union Township: Rental unit registration and licence (Township Code Article III) plus Rental Certificate of Occupancy on initial or change of occupancy (Article I) ↗
Township Clerk (registration/licence); code official (rental certificate of occupancy)
The Township Clerk issues a licence attesting each rental unit is registered (taxes/water/sewer must be current), only occupants on file with the Clerk may reside there, and the code official issues a rental CO that must be posted in each unit; owner/agent fields were not visible (ecode blocked fetching). Not stated; OPRA request to the Township Clerk.
Rent-control directory: 4 listed municipalities in Union County
From the DCA rent-control survey. Coverage and exceptions differ by municipality; confirm the current ordinance with the listed office. These contacts address rent regulation, not a court award of your deposit.
| Municipality | Survey coverage / limit | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth | 3+ 3%. Hardship or capital improvement increases may be approved by Board. Exception(s) - Motels, hotels, rooming houses, similar dwellings, housing with 2 or less units, owner-occupied housing with 3 or 4 units, and newly constructed units (permanently). Vacancy Decontrol with a maximum increase of 20%, lasting 12 months | Fair Rental Housing Board |
| Linden | 4+ Lesser of 5% and percentage difference between CPI 90 days prior to expiration/termination of lease and 90 days prior to commencement of lease term. (CPI NY-Northeast NJ urban consumers CPI) Exception(s) - Motels, hotels, rooming houses, similar premises, buildings in which 1/3 or more of the occupied floor space is commercial, housing with 3 units or less, and newly constructed multiple dwellings to the extent permitted by NJSA 2A:42-84.1 et seq. Vacancy Decontrol (until re-rented). 25% maximum increase. | Rent Leveling Board |
| Springfield | 3+ 4% no more than every 12 months Exception(s) - Motels, hotels, rooming houses, similar premises, 2-unit housing, owner-occupied 3-unit housing, and any units under the control of the NJ HMFA Affordable Housing Managing Service. Vacancy Decontrol (until re-rented). | Rent Leveling Board |
| Union | 3+ 4% Units on premises with over 500 units and rented prior to 9/13/05: 8%. Exception(s) - Motels, hotels, similar premises, housing with 2 units or less, units subject to federal or state rent control/stabilization, Newly constructed first-time rentals (until re-rented), units in premises containing over 500 units (rented after 9/13/05), and Block 405, Lot 19, and Lot 57 (Crossroads Garden Apartments Rehabilitation Area) on the Tax Map. | Rent Leveling Board |
No active rent control listed in the survey: Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Fanwood, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Mountainside, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Summit, Westfield, Winfield.
Union rental market context (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Median monthly rent
- $1,730
- Renter households
- 86,672
- Share renting
- 43%
County estimates from ACS 2024 5-year. These describe the housing market, not typical deposit awards or court outcomes. Use your actual deposit, refund and disputed deductions in the worksheet.
Data sources →Free help in Union County
Central Jersey Legal Services (CJLS) - Union County office ↗
60 Prince Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07208
(908) 354-4340Call about eligibility, availability and appointments for deposit disputes.
Statewide intake: Legal Services of New Jersey, 1-888-576-5529. For court forms and procedure, use the vicinage ombudsman contact; court staff cannot give legal advice.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice: deposit-return resource ↗Plan for the next step
What if the landlord claims I owe money?
A counterclaim, including charges you accept, can reduce your net recovery. Check response deadlines and costs.
Could filing affect me as a renter?
A deposit lawsuit differs from eviction, but records may be public. Still renting or facing threats? Ask local legal aid.
What happens after I win?
A judgment does not automatically collect the money. Follow the NJ collection steps if unpaid.
Analysis free · case documents $29, one time · mailing optional
Where the local details come from
Court and municipal directories, the DCA rent-control survey and the linked rental programs. Local records checked September 4, 2026. Confirm office details and property-specific coverage with the source.
Sources for Union County
- NJ Department of Community Affairs, 2026 Rent Control Survey (all 564 municipalities)
- Superior Court of New Jersey, Vicinage 12 (Union)
- Superior Court of New Jersey, Vicinage 12 (Union)
- NJ Courts, Union vicinage - offices and ombudsman pages
- NJ Courts, Lawsuits $5,000 or less (Small Claims)
- Central Jersey Legal Services (CJLS) - Union County office
- Central Jersey Legal Services (CJLS) - Union County office - Union County - Central Jersey Legal Services (908) 354-4340
- Central Jersey Legal Services (CJLS) - Union County office - 60 Prince Street, Elizabeth 07208, 908-354-4340
- 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)
Prepared by Alex Smirnof. Not reviewed by a licensed attorney. Educational information, not legal advice.