Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in New Jersey

You can't be evicted from a leasehold in New Jersey except by an order of the Landlord/Tenant court after an opportunity to be heard. Payment of all the rent due is a defense and will permit you to stay. So, if you can't find the landlord to pay, you are reasonabley safe in keeping the rent. Be prepared to have to pay it all on short notice if the landlord sues for eviction. You may also be liable for late fees, but you may be able to avoid that if you can convince the judge that you could not have made the payments on time.

See also: http://info.corbettlaw.net/lawguru.htm