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Late charge and amount are not included in lease? I highly doubt the landlord/management company would omit this. If not included then they can't charge a late fee. take another look at the lease.

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Late charges
Many leases require a late charge if the rent is not paid by a certain date of the month. This charge is supposed to cover the money lost by the landlord as a result of the late payment.

Courts will enforce late charges if they are reasonable and spelled out in writing in the lease. The landlord cannot evict based upon nonpayment of late charges unless there is an agreement stating that late charges are to be considered part of the ?rent.? Cite: 447 Associates v. Miranda, 115 N.J. 522 (1989).

In Section 8 housing, a landlord cannot sue to evict for nonpayment of late charges whether they are called rent or not. See Community Realty Management Company v. Harris, 155 N.J. 212 (1998). Similarly, a public housing authority cannot evict for nonpayment of late charges even if they are called rent. Cite: Housing Authority of the City of Atlantic City v. Taylor, 171 N.J. 580 (2002); Hodges v. Feinstein, 189 N.J. 210 (2007).

Late charges are also not allowed if the tenant did not pay the rent on time because the landlord failed to make needed repairs. Under the Anti-Eviction Act, a tenant who repeatedly pays rent after its due date can be sued for eviction provided that the landlord gives the tenant proper notices. See The Causes for Eviction. In addition, there is a new law that states when rent must be paid and when landlords can charge a late fee. This statute does not apply to all tenants. It applies only to apartments rented by senior citizens receiving Social Security Old Age Pensions, Railroad Retirement Pensions, or other government pensions in the place of Social Security Old Age Pensions, and by recipients of Social Security Disability Benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or welfare benefits under WorkFirst NJ. Cite: N.J.S.A. 2A: 42-6.1 and 6.3.

The law states that a landlord must allow a tenant a period of ?five business grace days? to pay the rent. If a tenant pays the rent in the five-day period, the landlord may not charge a late fee. In counting the five business days, do not include Saturday, Sunday, or a national or state holiday.

If the landlord knows, or should know, that your monthly income regularly does not arrive by a certain day, he should pick a later date that is fair to both of you.

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This is interesting, but not NJ specific:

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Brother lives in Bayonne. Due to health and personal issues he was unable to pay June's rent on time. There is a $50 dollar late charge. Well, he paid the June rent, with late charge, just after July 4th and the property manager informed him that the late charge is now $100. I told my brother to get in touch with his local rent board because I do not think you can double up on late charges. There is nothing in the lease about adding late charges like this and I personally think it is illegal, I just can't seem to find the law covering this.

Any help.