Trenton, NJ Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Section 132-85 sets Trenton's baseline inspection cycle for registered rental property. All non-occupant-owned structures let or rented for living purposes must be inspected once every five years to confirm Housing Code compliance. Separately, every vacant dwelling must be inspected and issued a certificate of approval before a new tenant can occupy it; the Division of Housing Inspections must inspect the vacant unit within five days of receiving notice from the nonoccupant owner. If one unit in a registered multi-unit structure fails inspection, that finding does not by itself block the owner from continuing to rent the other, compliant units.

Section 132-85B layers on a mechanical-safety check: a state-licensed contractor with no financial or ownership interest in the property must certify the heater and chimney every five years, or sooner if the Housing Inspector deems it necessary. The first initial inspection and first reinspection are free; a $50 unit inspection fee applies only if the landlord fails that first reinspection and a second reinspection becomes necessary (§ 132-85C). Once inspected, a unit receives a habitability rating under § 132-86: Unsatisfactory units must be vacated immediately as unfit for habitation, Conditional-rated units may stay occupied but violations must be corrected within 30 days or daily court fines follow, and Satisfactory units are cleared for occupancy for a year or until the next scheduled inspection or a complaint arrives.