City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Jersey City, NJ
How Jersey City regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- Primary-residence-only: permits issued only to owner who is principal resident
- Principal residence requires minimum 275 days/year occupancy
- Whole-unit absentee/unhosted rental capped at 60 nights per calendar year
- Tenants may never hold a permit; rental arbitrage banned outright
- Two-permit-per-person/entity ownership cap
- STR barred in rent-controlled buildings and, when owner absent, buildings over four units
Based on: Jersey City Municipal Code Ch. 255 (Short-Term Rentals), added by Ord. No. 19-077 (adopted 6-25-2019); amended and
Summary of the rule
No person shall operate a short-term rental without a valid permit, and no permit shall be issued except to applicants who are the owner and principal resident of the STRP.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Jersey City · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.