Legal Question in Civil Litigation in New Jersey

Re: rent

If you have a written lease, it is very likely that there is a provision in it which states that a security deposit is not to be used by the tenant in lieu of rent payments. If there is no written lease, the same general rule would likely apply: that being that security deposits are in whole or in part designed to protect the landlord in case of damage or abuse to the rental unit, and only secondarily to provide protection for non payment of rent.