1. The term “landlord,” as used in this act, shall mean the person or persons who own or purport to own, or exercise control of any building or project in which there is rented or offered for rent housing space for living or dwelling purposes under either a written or oral lease, provided that this definition shall not include owner-occupied two unit premises. This definition shall include but not be limited to any multiple dwelling subject to the “Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law,” P.L.1967, c.76 (C. 55:13A-1 et seq.).

Whenever: the owner of an apartment in a horizontal property regime as defined in P.L.1963, c.168 (C. 46:8A-1 et seq.), a unit owner of a unit in a condominium as defined in P.L.1969, c.257 (C. 46:8B-1 et seq.), an owner of a unit in a fee simple community as defined in section 1 of P.L.1989, c.299 (C. 40:67-23.2) or an owner in a cooperative entity as defined in section 3 of P.L.1987, c.381 (C. 46:8D-3) leases an apartment or unit to a tenant, that owner shall be deemed the landlord for the purposes of filing the certificate of registration as required by section 2 of P.L.1974, c.50 (C. 46:8-28). Nothing in P.L.1974, c.50 shall be construed as requiring a council of co-owners of a horizontal property regime, a condominium association, an association managing the common or shared elements or interests in a fee simple community or a cooperative association to comply with the certificate of registration requirement unless the council or association is the owner or lessor of the apartment or unit. Nothing in P.L.1974, c.50 shall be construed to require a cooperative corporation to comply with the certificate of registration requirement unless the corporation leases a unit to a person other than a proprietary shareholder of the cooperative. The foregoing provisions notwithstanding, the council, association or cooperative corporation having jurisdiction over a “multiple dwelling,” as defined in section 3 of P.L.1967, c.76 (C. 55:13A-3), shall comply with the registration requirements of section 12 of P.L.1967, c.76 (C. 55:13A-12) with respect to the multiple dwelling as a whole. The term “project” as used in this act shall mean a group of buildings which are or are represented to be under common or substantially common ownership and which stand on a single parcel of land or parcels of land which are contiguous and which group of buildings is named, designated or advertised as a common entity. The contiguity of such parcels shall not be adversely affected by public rights-of-way incidental to such buildings.

L.1974,c.50,s.1; amended 1981, c.299, s.1; 1981, c.442, s.1; 2003, c.56, s.1.