Bill Text: NJ A5422 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires removal of online images of interior of residential property after sale of property upon request of purchaser.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-09-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee [A5422 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5422-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires removal of online images of interior of residential property after sale of property upon request of purchaser.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the sale of residential property and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety shall, within six months of the effective date of this act, create and publish on the division's Internet website an image removal request form for use by a purchaser of residential property in the State. The form shall notify a purchaser that, starting on the date of the sale of the property and up to 30 days after the sale, the purchaser may submit a completed and signed form to the real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson that represents the seller of the purchased property, or to the seller of the purchased property if the seller is not represented by a real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson, to request the removal of each image of the interior of the property from a multiple listing service, Internet website or database, or social media account pursuant to subsections b. and c. of this section.
b. (1) A real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson licensed under chapter 15 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes that represents the seller of residential property in the State shall:
(a) provide an image removal request form, pursuant to subsection a. of this section, to the purchaser of residential property no later than the date of the sale of the property; and
(b) within 30 days of receipt of a completed and signed image removal request form:
(i) request that a multiple listing service to which the real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson submitted the listing remove each image of the interior of the property; and
(ii) remove from an Internet website or database or social media account used to advertise the sale of real property and maintained by the real estate broker, broker-salesperson, salesperson, the employer thereof, or a contracted outside party each image of the interior of the property.
(2) A real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson who violates the provisions of this subsection shall be in violation of the provisions of chapter 15 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes and shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $500 for a first offense and not more than $1,000 for any subsequent offense, which penalty shall be sued for and recovered by and in the name of the New Jersey Real Estate Commission and shall be collected and enforced by summary proceedings pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
c. (1) A seller of a residential property in the State who is not represented by a real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson licensed under chapter 15 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes shall:
(a) provide an image removal request form, pursuant to subsection a. of this section, to the purchaser of residential property no later than the date of the sale of the property; and
(b) within 30 days of receipt of a completed and signed image removal request form:
(i) request that a multiple listing service to which a contracted outside party submitted the listing remove each image of the interior of the property; and
(ii) remove from an Internet website or database or social media account used to advertise the sale of real property and maintained by the seller each image of the interior of the property.
(2) A seller of residential property who violates the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $500 for a first offense and not more than $1,000 for any subsequent offense, which penalty may be collected and enforced by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The Superior Court shall have jurisdiction of proceedings for the enforcement of the penalty provided by this section.
d. A violation of this act shall not be considered an unlawful practice in violation of P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to sales of residential property occurring on or after the 90th day following the publication of the image removal request form by the Division of Consumer Affairs pursuant to section 1 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the seller of a residential property to remove images of the interior of the property from a multiple listing service, Internet website or database, or social media account upon the request of the purchaser.
Under the bill, the Division of Consumer Affairs is to create and publish an image removal request form, which shall be provided to a purchaser of residential property by the real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson that represents the seller of the purchased property, or to the seller of the purchased property if the seller is not represented by a real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson, no later than the date of the sale of the property. Starting on the date of the sale of the property and up to 30 days after the sale, the purchaser may return a completed and signed form to request the removal of each interior image of the property from a multiple listing service, Internet website or database, or social media account.
A real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson who violates the provisions of the bill is in violation of the provisions of chapter 15 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes and shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $500 for a first offense and not more than $1,000 for any subsequent offense. A seller of residential property not represented by a real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson who violates the provisions of the bill shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $500 for a first offense and not more than $1,000 for any subsequent offense.
