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

Section 81-2A of the Stafford Township Code requires every building, structure and unit inspected under the rental article to comply in all respects with Township ordinances, N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq. and 55:13B-1 et seq., and the applicable provisions of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2021. Section 81-2.1 adopts the latest edition of that Code by reference, and section 81-2.2 places three copies on file with the Department of Building Inspections and the Township Clerk. Section 81-2B adds that any new work an existing structure needs must comply with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq.

The Township does not adopt the model code as published. Section 81-2.3 deletes Chapter 1 (Scope and Administration) in its entirety and removes sections including 301.3 on vacant structures, 302.1 on sanitation, 302.8 on motor vehicles, 308 on rubbish and garbage, 505.2 on contamination, 507 on storm drainage and 606 on elevators. It also rewrites some standards. Handrails are required on stairs with more than three risers instead of more than four. Water heater relief valve discharge pipes must be metallic with no threaded ends and terminate six inches above the finish floor. AC-powered smoke detectors must be replaced with the same power source with or without battery backup.

The Code Official is defined in section 81-10 as the Township Construction Code Official, his designee or an agency authorized to perform inspections on behalf of the Township. Seasonal rentals face an additional gate: section 164-10 bars a seasonal rental license until the unit has been inspected and found in full compliance with the Township Code, particularly Chapter 158, Property Maintenance, and no temporary or conditional certificates or licenses are issued. Chapter 158 adopts the 2021 Property Maintenance Code as determined by the Construction Official or the Zoning Officer, requires premises to be free of weeds or plant growth in excess of 10 inches in section 158-1.1B, and requires exterior fire access 23 feet wide by 15 feet high in section 158-1.2. A separate sale-side rule in section 81-12A requires a resale certificate to certify that a dwelling unit is fit for human habitation.