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

Adopted by the Jackson Township Council in 2019, Chapter 234 of the Code of the Township of Jackson, Housing Standards, Rental/Lease, guides the Code Enforcement Supervisor in judging whether a rental dwelling in Jackson Township, New Jersey is fit for human habitation. Section 234-3 requires every dwelling unit and lodging house to have a safe supply of potable water meeting New Jersey Department of Health standards, delivered at a minimum flow of one gallon per minute. Section 234-6 sets lighting minimums, including at least two lumens per square foot in hallways and stairwells, and § 234-7 requires ventilation equal to at least 45% of the required window area or six air changes per hour.

Section 234-8 obligates landlords to maintain heating facilities capable of holding habitable rooms at a minimum of 65 degrees Fahrenheit when it is 0 degrees outside, and § 234-12N requires heat to stay on between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. year-round wherever the owner controls the heating source. Section 234-9 requires safe, unobstructed egress from every dwelling unit, and § 234-10 obligates owners to keep foundations, roofs, stairways and railings in good repair and free of rodent or vermin harborage. Section 234-16 bars anyone from occupying a rental dwelling that does not conform to this chapter, and charges a $50 reinspection fee once a first reinspection finds continuing noncompliance.

Section 234-18 requires a certificate of occupancy from the Code Enforcement Supervisor before any rental unit changes tenants. Enforcement can include a search warrant issued by the Municipal Court Judge under § 234-15 when an inspector is denied access, and § 234-21 sets the penalty for any violation of the chapter at a fine of up to $500, imprisonment in the county jail for up to 90 days, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged separately.