Short-Term Rentals in Cape May County, NJ (2026)

Permit Requirements

Cape May County itself does NOT issue short-term rental permits or licenses. Under the New Jersey Constitution and N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.12a et seq., licensing and zoning of residential rentals is a municipal function, and each of Cape May County's 16 municipalities (Cape May City, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, West Wildwood, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City, Ocean City, Cape May Point, West Cape May, Lower Township, Middle Township, Upper Township, Dennis Township, Woodbine) administers its own rental ordinance. The County's only direct STR-related role is the 2% Cape May County Tourism Sales Tax and 1.85% Cape May County Tourism Assessment imposed under the Tourism Improvement and Development District Act, currently collected only in Wildwood, North Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest. State-level rules under N.J.S.A. 54:32D-1 (State Occupancy Fee) and the August 2019 amendments to the Sales and Use Tax Act apply to all transient accommodation rentals in the county that are obtained through a transient space marketplace (Airbnb, Vrbo) or are professionally managed (owner offering 3+ units).