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

Chapter 100 of the Code of the City of Passaic ties every change of tenant in a multiple dwelling to a city inspection. Under § 100-7, once a dwelling unit becomes vacant the owner or operator must notify the Superintendent of the Division of Housing, supply the building address, unit number, prospective tenant's name and the number of people who will occupy it, and request an inspection, which the Superintendent must perform within two working days. If the inspection turns up violations, the owner is directed to correct them within a set period; occupancy is allowed to continue during that abatement window only if no violation is an immediate threat to health or safety and the tenancy wouldn't cause overcrowding.

Once every violation is cleared, § 100-7C has the Superintendent issue a certificate of tenancy naming the tenant and headcount, certifying the unit violation-free as of that date, and § 100-8 keeps that certificate valid only as long as the named tenant remains in residence and the household size stays the same or shrinks. The fee for the inspection and certificate is $25 per dwelling unit under § 100-10D, and § 100-12 entitles the applicant to one free reinspection before additional $25 reinspection charges apply.

Renting or occupying a unit without the required certificate is a violation under § 100-9: each day of uncertified tenancy is a separate offense, punishable by up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail, and a second or later certificate-of-tenancy violation carries a mandatory minimum fine of $100.