Old Bridge, NJ Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Section 235-16 of the Old Bridge Township housing code bars any owner, agent, real estate broker, or other party from renting, leasing, letting, or transferring occupancy of any dwelling, dwelling unit, hotel, motel, rooming house, rooming unit, or boardinghouse, whether the occupancy is temporary, long-term, or permanent, until the Construction Official issues a certificate of approval confirming the property complies with Chapter 235's housing standards. The requirement applies whether the transaction is a new lease, a lease renewal accompanied by a change of tenant, or a sale, and it binds not just the owner but anyone who contracts with the owner for occupancy by another person.

The inspection fee is $165 for a single-family dwelling or duplex, and $150 per unit for each unit in a multiple dwelling, apartment house, hotel, motel, rooming house, rooming unit, or boardinghouse; the fee is paid by whoever is disposing of the ownership or occupancy interest. If the Construction Official's inspection finds the unit does not meet code and a certificate must be denied, a reinspection after repairs draws a second fee equal to the original inspection fee. The program is enforced through the same violation and Municipal Court process that applies to the rest of Chapter 235: a written notice identifying the deficiency, up to 60 days to correct it under Section 235-4, and referral to Old Bridge Township Municipal Court if the deadline passes without a reasonable abatement effort.