Bloomfield, NJ Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection cycle
- At least every three years or on change of occupancy
- Inspection fee
- $60 per rental unit
- Failed inspection
- No registration, lease or occupancy until corrected and reinspected
- Temporary certificate
- Minor violations only, compliance within 30 days
- Complaint response
- Inspection within 10 days of a complaint
- Maintenance standard
- Uniform Construction Code and BOCA National Property Maintenance Code
Summary
In Bloomfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey, every registered rental unit is inspected at least once every three years or on a change of occupancy, and a unit that fails cannot be registered, leased or occupied until corrections are made. Dwelling units must be maintained under the Uniform Construction Code and the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code.
C. Such inspections shall be for the purpose of determining Zoning Ordinance compliance and, to the extent applicable, determining if the property complies with the Property Maintenance Code, Uniform Construction Code, BOCA Maintenance Code, Housing Code, Building Code and/or Uniform Fire Safety Act. ... D. Unsatisfactory inspection. In the event that the inspection(s) of a rental unit does not result in a satisfactory inspection, such property shall not thereafter be registered nor shall a certificate of code compliance be issued, and the owner of the property or his agent shall not lease or rent such property, nor shall any tenant occupy the property until the necessary corrections have been made so as to bring the property and rental unit into compliance with the applicable code and the property is thereafter subsequently inspected and registered. ... All dwelling units shall be maintained in accordance with the Uniform Construction Code and the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA) National Property Maintenance Code as amended from time to time.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 431, Rental Property Registration, ties rental habitability to inspection. Section 431-7 requires each rental unit to be inspected at least once every three years or upon a change in occupancy, by a person or agency appointed by the Township; inspections by anyone else are not a valid substitute. The inspection checks Zoning Ordinance compliance and, to the extent applicable, compliance with the Property Maintenance Code, Uniform Construction Code, BOCA Maintenance Code, Housing Code, Building Code and Uniform Fire Safety Act. Section 431-17 then requires all dwelling units to be maintained under the Uniform Construction Code and the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code as amended from time to time.
An unsatisfactory inspection stops the unit cold: it cannot be registered, no certificate of code compliance issues, and the owner cannot lease or rent it nor can a tenant occupy it until corrections are made and it is reinspected. For minor violations that are not inimical to health, safety and welfare, the inspector can issue a temporary certificate conditioned on compliance within a reasonable period not to exceed 30 days, and the permanent certificate follows at no additional fee. After 30 days without corrections the owner, tenant or landlord is in violation.
Section 431-13 sets the inspection fee at $60 per rental unit, an increased fee of $100 for failing to renew or notify the Fire Department of a tenant change, and a $60 reinspection fee; owner-occupied units pay nothing. A tenant complaint triggers an inspection within 10 days (§ 431-8C). Inspections run between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. with occupant consent or an administrative warrant, except for immediate threats to health or safety. Section 431-14 requires the owner to give each tenant a copy of the certificate of code compliance, and § 431-19 lets the Township Council revoke a certificate after a hearing for, among other grounds, a unit kept in a dangerous condition likely to result in injury.
Violations & Fines
Section 431-20 sends violations of Chapter 431 to the general penalty in § 1-15: a fine not exceeding $2,000, imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, community service not exceeding 90 days, or a combination, with each violation and each day a separate offense. Section 431-11 bars anyone from occupying an unregistered unit or one without a certificate. Revocation or suspension of the certificate follows a hearing before the Township Council held not sooner than 10 or more than 30 days after the complaint is filed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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