NJ Landlord Registration & Certificate of Occupancy Directory

Renting out a property in New Jersey means two things have to be handled before your tenant moves in: registering as a landlord and, in most towns, getting a certificate of occupancy (CO) or passing a rental inspection. The registration rule is statewide and the same everywhere. The CO/inspection rule is set locally, so it varies town by town.

Why it's local: N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.12a and 40:48-2.12m authorize municipalities to require a certificate of inspection or occupancy for residential rental property prior to a new occupancy. This is why the requirement exists town-by-town rather than as one statewide process.

Here is exactly what this directory is, so you know before you click: all 564 New Jersey municipalities are covered for the statewide registration rule - that part is identical everywhere, and every town page walks it. The local certificate-of-occupancy rule is the part that varies, and we have verified it against official sources in 48 towns so far.

• CO confirmed48 towns. The town's program name, the office that runs it, what triggers an inspection, the ordinance or government page we read it from, and the date we checked.
• Statewide onlyThe remaining 516. Full statewide registration guidance, plus how to reach that town's office and the one question to ask. No local CO rule, because we have not confirmed one.

We would rather label a gap than fill it with a guess: a wrong inspection fee or filing deadline on a compliance page is worse than an honest blank. If your town is not verified yet, the state's county and municipal website directory is the fastest way to find the right office yourself.