DIVISION OF HOUSING PRESERVATION

The Division of Housing Preservation oversees the registrations of vacant and foreclosed properties, issues hotel/motel licenses and short-term rental permits and, through its Office of Landlord/Tenant Relations, enforces the city’s Rent Control Ordinance. The Division is also responsible for conducting lead-based paint inspections in rental dwelling units pursuant to P.L. 2021, C.182. If you would like to learn more about our Division's functions, we will begin hosting monthly Educational Seminars commencing March 27, 2025.

The Division of Housing Preservation:

• Issues hotel/motel licenses annually

• Maintains registry of vacant lots, vacant buildings, foreclosure properties, and routinely inspects these properties.

• Click here for the Vacant Property Registration Form
• Click here for the Foreclosure Property Registration Form

• Enforces the Rent Control Ordinance (Chapter 260)

• For more information, see the Office of Landlord/Tenant Relations webpage.   

 

SHORT-TERM RENTAL (STR) INFORMATION

The Division of Housing Preservation is also responsible for enforcing the Short-Term Rental Ordinance (Chapter 255).

To access the new Short-Term Rental Permit Registration portal or for more information about Short-Term Rental Permits, please see the links below.

 

LEAD-BASED PAINT INSPECTIONS REQUIRED FOR RENTAL DWELLINGS

The State of NJ now requires periodic lead-based paint inspections for certain dwellings constructed prior to 1978 for the purposed of identifying lead-based paint hazards. 

The Division of Housing Preservation has been tasked with conducting these inspections as assigned in Ord. 23-018. 

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in our environment. It was once widely used in commercial products such as gasoline, paint, cosmetics, spices, and pottery. If children are exposed to it, their nervous systems and kidneys can be damaged. Learning disabilities, attention-deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence have been found in exposed children. Behavior, speech, and language problems, hearing damage, decreased muscle and bone growth, and poor muscle coordination are major concerns of lead exposure.

All single-family, two-family, and multiple rental dwellings must be inspected upon tenant turnover or within two years of the effective date of the law, 7/22/23. If your dwelling is subject to the law, the Housing Preservation Division must be furnished with a copy of a valid lead-safe certificate.

Inspections are required every three years or upon tenant turnover, whichever is less.

Exempt Dwellings:

• Dwellings constructed during or after 1978
• Single-family and two-family seasonal rental dwellings rented for less than six-months duration each year by tenants without consecutive lease renewals
• Dwellings that have been certified to be free of lead-based paint pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:17-3.6(b).
• Multiple rental dwellings that have been registered with the Department of Community Affairs for at least ten years and have no outstanding lead violations from the most recent cyclical inspection performed under the “Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law” (N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1). Check to see if your rental is exempt on this list.

Owners are permitted to directly hire a lead evaluation contractor to perform periodic inspections.

• To submit a request for a Lead-Based Paint Inspection, please click jcnj.org/permitportal and complete the "Lead- Based Paint Inspection" application.
• To provide the Bureau with proof of your exemption from this inspection, please click jcnj.org/permitportal and upload your documents to the "Certified Lead Evaluation Registration" application. 
• Both applications require that owners complete and upload an Affidavit in support of their submissions.  

Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to $1,000.00 per week until the inspection has been conducted or until remediation efforts have initiated.

For more details about the law and what it means for you, please visit the NJ State Website.