How long can a tenant wait to renew lease?

[Robert Brosen]

Hi folks,

I am having a heck of a time finding any answer to this question. Not even the anti-eviction law addresses this. As required, I sent a new lease to the tenant in my single-family home in Ocean County more than 60 days ahead of the expiration of current lease. A clause in the lease states he has 15 days to respond or it will be assumed he has rejected the lease and his tenancy will end at the expiration of the current least. A month and a half later, as the final 30 days of his current lease approached, I sent, via certified mail, a nonrenewal notice due to his lack of response and therefore rejection of new lease.

It was THEN that he signed and returned the new lease. I informed him the deadline passed and I am now looking to sell the property. He enlisted a lawyer who claims I am violating NJ anti-eviction law by not accepting the signed lease.

Does NJ law support this? Can a tenant sit on a lease renewal indefinitely and sign whenever they see fit?