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 of Housing Preservation is also responsible for conducting lead-based paint inspections in rental dwelling units pursuant to P.L. 2021, C.182. 

(For Housing Code Enforcement issues, contact the Office of Code Compliance at [email protected] or call the Resident Response Center at (201)-547-4900)

Applications will ONLY be received through the new data portal system.  Visit jcnj.org/hedc for more information on how to create your account.

Bergen Ave brownstones photo

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



  • For more information about Short-Term Rental Permits, click below.

SHORT-TERM RENTAL (STR) INFORMATION

LEAD-BASED PAINT INSPECTIONS REQUIRED FOR RENTAL DWELLINGS

Lead paint inspector photoThe 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.

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 dmaged. 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. The Division anticipates that these inspections will commence in February of 2024. If you would like to submit your request for a Lead-Based Paint Inspection in advance or wish to provide proof of your property's exemption, you can do so ) by clicking jcnj.org/permitportal

and completing the Certified Lead Evaluation Registration or Lead-Based Paint Inspections application. 


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.

Contact Info

  • phone201-547-4821
  • Division of Housing Preservation
    Three Jackson Square
    (aka 342 Martin Luther King Drive)
    Jersey City, NJ 07305

    Shyrone Richardson photo

    Shyrone Richardson, Director

    Office Hours:
    Monday - Friday : 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
    Last Walk-In:
    Monday - Friday : 3:30 PM

  • Directions