Homes and Apartments for Rent in Ridgewood, NJ
Rentals in Ridgewood include whole houses as well as apartments, and the current listings are below. This page covers what is specific to renting in the Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County: what to check when the rental is a house, how municipal rent rules apply, and what landlords ask for.
What should you check when you rent a house?
Renting a whole house puts more of the property's running in the tenant's hands than an apartment does, and the lease is where that gets settled. Before you sign, get these answered in writing:
- Utilities. Which accounts are in your name: electric, gas, water and sewer, and whether the house is heated by gas, oil or electric.
- Outside work. Who handles lawn care, leaves and snow removal from the driveway and sidewalk.
- Repairs. Who pays for what, whether there is a threshold the tenant covers first, and how to report a problem.
- Appliances and systems. Which appliances are included, and who services the heating, air conditioning and hot water.
- Parking and storage. Garage, driveway and basement access, and whether any of it is excluded.
- Renters insurance. Whether the lease requires it.
None of these are unusual requests, and a landlord who answers them clearly up front is easier to rent from later.
Does Ridgewood have rent control?
Rent control in New Jersey is set town by town, by municipal ordinance, so the reliable answer for a specific house or apartment in Ridgewood comes from the village itself. Ask the landlord whether the unit is subject to any municipal rent regulation, and confirm with the Village Clerk if the answer matters to your decision. Ordinances are adopted and amended, so a dated answer from the village is worth more than anything written on a website, including this one.
What will a Ridgewood landlord ask you for?
The same things landlords across New Jersey ask for, and having them ready before you view is what decides who gets the place:
- Photo identification.
- Proof of income, such as recent pay stubs, an offer letter, or tax returns if you are self-employed.
- Employment confirmation.
- Previous landlord references, where you have them.
- Whatever the landlord requires for a credit check.
A landlord cannot refuse you because you pay with a housing voucher. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination protects lawful source of income, including vouchers and other rental assistance.
Many New Jersey municipalities require an inspection before a new tenant moves in. It is the landlord's responsibility and it can move a move-in date, so ask whether Ridgewood requires one as soon as your application is accepted.
The full renting process, costs up front and the questions renters ask are on the rentals page for Northern New Jersey.
Commuting from a Ridgewood rental
Ridgewood is one of the places in Bergen County where two New Jersey Transit rail lines meet, which is covered in detail, along with the change at Secaucus Junction, in the guide to Bergen County towns and the Manhattan commute. Check the schedule at the hour you would travel before you commit to an address.
Renting in Ridgewood before buying
A year renting in a town tells you things research will not, and plenty of people rent first on purpose. If that is your plan, say so at the start, because it changes which lease makes sense. Homes for sale are on the Ridgewood listings page, the wider county is on the Bergen County page, and how buying works in New Jersey is set out step by step.
I am Reshmee Jugmohun, a licensed New Jersey real estate agent with Prominent Properties Sotheby's International Realty, and I work with renters and buyers throughout Bergen County. I am not a property manager and not an attorney: once you move in, your relationship is with the landlord, and a lease review goes to a New Jersey attorney.
