Does a notice to comply or quit need to be filed in court before presenting it to a tenant?

No. But you do need to properly serve the notice on the tenant. After the time of the notice passes, then you may file your UD claim.

You do not need to file it with the court. But I do recommend that you send it Certified RRR and Regular Mail. And if they fail to adhere to the notice to quit make sure you wait the applicable time period before filing an eviction action with the court.

You don't need to file with the court but ensure that you send it regular and certified and provide proof of same in case the court requests it at a later date.

In New Jersey, there is no such notice. There is a Notice to Cease, by which a tenant is notified of behavior that is in violation of the terms of their lease and is given an opportunity to stop such behaviors in order to avoid the landlord taking further measures to terminate the tenancy; and there is the Notice to Quit, which is the notice that the landlord sends if the tenant has failed to stop the behaviors complained of in the Notice to Cease. The Notice to Quit terminates the tenancy and must give the tenant at least 30 days to vacate the premises. So a "Notice to Comply or Quit" is illegal in NJ. If you believe you were served such a notice, you need to consult a local attorney so that the situation can be assessed and you options determined. Find an attorney ASAP to meet with.

You need to properly serve the tenant. You also need to ensure that the notice is in proper form and served in the proper time frame. When you commence an action to evict, the Notice will be necessary to proceed on the case, but it does not need to be filed before serving the tenant with it. Some grounds for eviction require a Notice to Cease and then a Notice to Quit. Some actions require only a Notice to Quit. There are different time frames for different eviction grounds. These issues are technical and are often grounds for savvy tenants to get cases thrown out. You can have a winning case on the merits and still wind up having it dismissed. Also, depending on the size of the building and the reason you are sending the notice -- you may not need a notice at all in order to evict. I have seen countless cases dismissed because of defects in notices and other procedural matters. You should consider talking to a landlord tenant lawyer about your case. Consultations are free and can tell you if you need the notice and whether or not you will later have a case to evict. If the property is owned by a Corporation or LLC you will be required to have an attorney if you want to go to court to evict. In that case, it would be cost effective to have the attorney prepare and send the notices.