Montclair State University CDP (part), Essex County, New Jersey, NJ

Essex County, NJ does not license short-term rentals. New Jersey requires hosts using a marketplace (Airbnb, Vrbo) or professionally managed units to collect 6.625% State Sales Tax and the State Occupancy Fee under P.L. 2018 c. 49 (effective Oct. 1, 2018, amended by P.L. 2019 c. 235). Newark, in Essex County, charges a reduced 1% State Occupancy Fee plus its own local hotel tax. Each municipality sets its own STR permit rules.

Essex County imposes no county-level STR tax or fee. New Jersey applies a 6.625% Sales Tax (NJSA 54:32B-3) and a 5% State Occupancy Fee (NJSA 54:32D-1) on transient accommodations booked through a marketplace or professionally managed. Municipalities may add a local hotel/occupancy tax up to 3% (NJSA 40:48E).

Essex County sets no STR occupancy limit. New Jersey has no statewide STR cap; municipalities set occupancy. The NJ Uniform Construction Code (NJAC 5:23) adopts the IRC/IBC, which generally requires 70 sq ft for the first occupant and 50 sq ft for each additional in a sleeping room. Newark, Bloomfield, and other Essex municipalities set their own caps.

Essex County has no STR parking ordinance. NJ does not preempt local STR parking rules, so each Essex municipality (Newark, Bloomfield, East Orange, Irvington, etc.) sets parking minimums under its zoning code per the Municipal Land Use Law (NJSA 40:55D-1). On-street parking on county roads is governed by Title 39 motor vehicle law and county park rules.

Essex County, NJ has no county-level pool fence rules. Pool barriers are governed by the NJ Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14) which adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) as the NJ Swimming Pool and Spa Subcode. Required: 48-inch barrier, self-closing/self-latching gate, and the 4-inch sphere rule. Permits are issued by each municipality's Construction Official.

Essex County, NJ does not set residential quiet hours - New Jersey's home rule structure under N.J.S.A. 40:48-1 and the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D) places noise regulation with each of the 22 Essex municipalities (Newark, East Orange, Bloomfield, Montclair, Irvington, West Orange, etc.). New Jersey's statewide Noise Control Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1G) and N.J.A.C. 7:29 apply to industrial/commercial sources, with a 50 dB(A) nighttime / 65 dB(A) daytime limit at residential property lines. Newark Code Ch. 18 sets local quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Call your municipal police non-emergency line, not the County, for residential noise complaints.

Essex County, NJ does not regulate residential fence heights. Under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D), zoning - including fence height, setbacks, and materials - is the exclusive authority of the 22 Essex municipalities. Typical Essex County fence rules follow NJ's common pattern: 4 feet maximum in front yards, 6 feet maximum in side and rear yards, with corner-lot sight-triangle restrictions. Newark, Montclair, Bloomfield, West Orange, and East Orange each have their own fence ordinance and permit process. Always check your municipal building/zoning department before installing a fence.

Essex County, NJ does not enforce a countywide dog leash ordinance for residential areas. Under N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq. (state dog licensing and rabies control law), each of the 22 Essex municipalities licenses dogs and enforces leash and at-large rules. Newark Municipal Code Title 7 requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet when off the owner's property. The Essex County Park Police (973.268.3500) enforces leash rules on the Essex County Park System (Branch Brook, Eagle Rock Reservation, South Mountain Reservation, etc.). All dogs 7 months and older must be licensed annually with proof of current rabies vaccination through the municipality of residence.

Essex County does not regulate accessory dwelling units (ADUs) at the county level — under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.), zoning authority belongs to each of Essex County's 22 municipalities. Several Essex municipalities — including Montclair (March 2023) and South Orange (2023) — have adopted formal ADU ordinances, while Newark's Title XLI (2023 zoning rewrite) allows for additional indoor dwelling units of 250+ sq ft.

Essex County, NJ does not regulate fireworks separately — state law preempts. Aerial and explosive consumer fireworks (firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, mortars) remain illegal under N.J.S.A. 21:3-1 et seq. The 2017 amendment (P.L. 2017 c. 92) legalized only ground-based, non-explosive items: hand-held sparklers, snakes, glow worms, smoke devices, and party poppers, for buyers age 16 and over. Public displays require a permit under N.J.S.A. 21:3-3.

Essex County, NJ does not run a county floodplain program. Floodplain development is jointly regulated by FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (44 CFR Part 60) and the NJ Flood Hazard Area Control Act (N.J.S.A. 58:16A-50 et seq.) with rules at N.J.A.C. 7:13. After Hurricane Sandy (2012), NJDEP tightened rules for the Passaic River basin and elsewhere in Essex County. Permits are issued by NJDEP and the local floodplain administrator.