Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, in any action brought by a landlord against a tenant to recover possession of premises or unit used for dwelling purposes, to which this act is applicable, whether by summary dispossess proceedings, civil action for the possession of land, or otherwise, the judge of the court having jurisdiction shall use sound discretion in the issuance of a warrant or writ for removal or writ of possession, and if it shall appear that by the issuance of the warrant or writ the tenant will suffer hardship because of the unavailability of other dwelling accommodations the judge may stay the issuance of the warrant or writ and cause the same to issue at such time as he shall deem proper under the circumstances, but in no case shall such judge stay the issuance of any such warrant or writ for possession for a longer period than 6 months after the date of entry of the judgment of possession; provided, however, that in no case shall the issuance of the warrant or writ be stayed or the stay thereof be longer continued, as the case may be, if the tenant should (a) fail to pay to the landlord all arrears in rent and the amount that would have been payable as rent if the tenancy had continued, together with the accrued costs of the action; or (b) during the stay, fail to continue to pay to the landlord the amount of rent that would be due if the tenancy had continued; or (c) during the stay, become so disorderly as to destroy the peace and quiet of the other tenants living in the same building or in the neighborhood; or (d) during the stay, willfully destroy, damage or injure the premises.

L.1956, c. 81, p. 168, s. 1.