Payment of property tax rebate, credit

6. The property tax rebate or credit for each dwelling unit shall be paid to the tenant who was in residence of such unit during the calendar year. The rebate shall be paid monthly, except that the first rebate payment shall be cumulative to the month following receipt of the notice of property tax reduction pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1976, c.63 (C.54:4-6.5), and the last shall be made by December 31; provided however, that if a notice is received after November 1 of the tax year, the first rebate payment need not be cumulative and the rebate may be payable in monthly installments to the next following June 30. Such property tax reduction shall, at the option of the owner, either be credited as a rent reduction or paid directly to the tenant.

The amount of each monthly property tax rebate or credit shall be equal to one-twelfth of the annual amount of the rebate or credit; provided, however, that the amount of the rebate or credit due the tenant at the time the rent is paid shall be rounded off such that any amount less than $0.50 shall be reduced to the next lower dollar and any amount $0.50 or higher shall be increased to the next higher dollar. Rebates shall be paid to a tenant only for the number of months during the calendar year the tenant has been in residence. A landlord shall use his or her best efforts to obtain the forwarding address of a tenant who is entitled to a rebate and who has moved from the rental premises.

An owner shall adjust the payment or crediting of a rebate immediately upon the receipt of and in accordance with a revised notice of property tax reduction pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1976, c.63 (C.54:4-6.5); provided, however, that no amount of rebate previously paid or credited may be recovered by the owner.

In the case of a lease terminated pursuant to P.L.1971, c.318 (C.46:8-9.1), any property tax rebate or credit due and owing prior to that termination of the lease shall be paid to the executor or administrator of the estate of the tenant or the surviving spouse of the tenant terminating the lease.

L.1976,c.63,s.6; amended 1977, c.81, s.5; 1985, c.317, s.3; 1998, c.15, s.4.