Hackensack, NJ Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Chapter 100, adopted 7-8-2008 by Ordinance No. 15-2008 and amended through 6-1-2016, sets the baseline habitability duty for every existing residential structure in the City. Section 100-14 splits responsibility: the owner must maintain the structure and exterior property so the premises are sanitary and safe, and may not occupy or permit occupancy of premises that fail that standard, while occupants must keep the part of the dwelling, rooming or housekeeping unit they control clean and sanitary. That duty is backed by numeric standards elsewhere in the same article: Section 100-34 requires heating facilities capable of maintaining 68°F in habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms, and any owner who furnishes heat under a lease must supply it from October 1 to May 15 to maintain that 68°F minimum (dropping to 65°F only where the average monthly outdoor temperature exceeds 30°F).

The Code Official enforces the chapter, can issue notices of violation under Section 100-7, and may pursue court action to restrain, correct or abate a violation or to force removal of an unlawful occupancy; any action taken becomes a lien on the property. The chapter's stated intent, in Section 100-1, is to ensure public health, safety and welfare through minimum standards for light, ventilation, sanitation and safety from fire and other hazards in existing structures and premises.