Building Safety in East Orange, NJ (2026)
8 verified building safety rules for East Orange, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
The City of East Orange has banned lead-based paint on interior surfaces since 1971: Sanitary Standards Section 292-43 fines anyone who applies it up to $500, and once a Health Officer finds flaking or chipped paint testing above 1% lead by weight, or a child living there is diagnosed with lead poisoning, the owner must strip or seal every leaded surface in the unit.
East Orange Interior Lead Paint Prohibition
Significant RestrictionsEast Orange City Code § 292-43
§ 292-43. Use of lead base paint on interiors prohibited. ... A. The use of lead-based paint on interior surfaces is hereby prohibited. Any person responsible for applying lead-based paint on any interior surface shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500. ... ... C. When such a hazard exists, the Health Officer shall order the owner of the premises to remove or prohibit access to leaded mat...
Elevator Maintenance
City Code § 159-203 requires every elevator in the City of East Orange to be inspected by the Department of Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement under New Jersey's elevator statutes and administrative code, and keeps all operating and electrical parts in good working order and free of hazards. Section 159-204 sets inspection fees from $65 to $250 per visit.
East Orange Requires Elevators Kept in Repair
Some RestrictionsEast Orange City Code § 159-203
All elevators within the City of East Orange shall be inspected by the designee of the Director of the Department of Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement in accordance with the New Jersey Statutes and the New Jersey Administrative Code. A ... ll operating and electrical parts and accessory equipment for elevator devices shall be maintained in good working order and free of hazards.
Childcare Center Rules
In the City of East Orange, state law makes a licensed child-care center a permitted use in every nonresidential zoning district under City Code § 51-91, and where a district requires conditional-use approval, § 51-138 adds site standards: a 15,000-square-foot minimum lot, 35-foot or two-and-a-half-story height cap, 35% maximum lot coverage, and an on-site queuing area for at least four cars.
East Orange Child-Care Center Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsEast Orange City Code §§ 51-91, 51-138
§ 51-91. Child-care centers. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-66.6, child-care centers for which, upon completion, a license is required from the Department of Human Services pursuant to N.J.S.A. 30:5B-1 et seq., shall be a permitted use in all nonresidential districts of a municipality. ... § 51-138. Child-care centers. In districts where conditionally permitted, child-care centers shall be subject...
Door Locking Hardware
In the City of East Orange, every entrance door to a multiple-dwelling unit must have a medium-duty deadlatching lockset or a separate deadbolt under City Code § 159-101D, plus a self-closing door, a chain lock allowing partial opening, and a peephole, added by a 2018 ordinance amending Chapter 159's housing standards.
East Orange Apartment Door Lock Requirements
Some RestrictionsEast Orange City Code § 159-101D, E, F
All entrance doors to multiple-dwelling units shall be equipped with a medium-duty deadlatching lockset (Series 160, FF-H-106a, minimum, with a minimum 11/16 inch by 1/2 inch with 1/2 minimum throw latchbolt with automatic deadlocking plunger) or with a deadbolt lock separate from the latch set. ... In all multiple-dwelling-unit buildings, each dwelling unit's doors shall be self-closing. ... I...
Green Building Code
In the City of East Orange, new construction within the Transit Village District must meet the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code for low-rise residential buildings and the 2007 ASHRAE 90.1 standard, while LEED and ENERGY STAR certification are only encouraged, not required, citywide.
East Orange Green Building Standards
Some RestrictionsEast Orange City Code § 51-114C, C(5)
Sustainability guidelines. This plan encourages the use of green rating systems to incorporate sustainable design measures into development. Rating systems include the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Efficiency) rating system developed by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) and the ENERGY STAR rating system, a joint program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and th...
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
In the City of East Orange, sellers and landlords must obtain a Certificate of Smoke Alarm, Carbon Monoxide Alarm and Portable Fire Extinguisher Compliance (CSACMAPFEC) before every change of occupant. The Fire Prevention Bureau charges $100 to $175 depending on how much notice you give, plus $50 for each recheck inspection needed to pass.
East Orange CO Alarm Compliance Certificate
Some RestrictionsEast Orange City Code § 146-1J
J. Certificate of smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm and portable fire extinguisher compliance (CSACMAPFEC). The application fee for a CSACMAPFEC, as required by N.J.S.A. 5:70-2.3, shall be based upon the amount of time remaining before the change of occupant is expected, as follows: ... (1) Request for a CSACMAPFEC received more than 10 business days prior to the change of occupant: $100. (2) ...
Building Permits
In the City of East Orange, no building permit or certificate of occupancy may be issued until a zoning permit is obtained from the Zoning Officer under City Code § 51-59. The Zoning Officer must act within 10 business days or the application is deemed approved. The Department of Property Maintenance, the state Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency, then reviews and issues the actual construction permit through its Construction Official.
East Orange Building Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsEast Orange City Code §§ 51-59, 125-1
§ 51-59. Zoning permit. ... A zoning permit shall be required for all new tenancies before occupying any nonresidential building or nonresidential tenant space and shall be required before any building permit can be issued. ... Except for applications for minor repairs, as defined by the Uniform Construction Code, no construction permit or certificate of occupancy shall be issued unless a zonin...
Building Inspections
For permitted construction in an East Orange flood hazard area, the Construction Official inspects at four staged checkpoints, each requiring a signed elevation certificate, under Article VII of the Floodplain Management chapter.
East Orange Flood-Zone Construction Inspections
Some RestrictionsEast Orange City Code §§ 150-42, 150-44
Article VII. ... Inspections § 150-42. General. Development for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection. Approval as a result of an inspection shall not be construed to be an approval of a violation of the provisions of these regulations or the Building Code. ... ... § 150-44. Buildings and structures. The Construction Official shall make, or cause to be made, inspections for ...
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