Passaic, NJ Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Section 185-3 applies to every 'multiple dwelling' in Passaic, a building with three or more independently occupied dwelling units, or two units occupied by unrelated persons where the owner doesn't live on-site. Both the owner (or party in interest) and the tenant must file a Division of Housing registration form disclosing the tenant's name, the total square footage rented and the square footage devoted to sleeping versus other habitable rooms, the number of rooms rented, the number of people who will occupy the space, the landlord's or agent's name, address, and phone number, the monthly rent, and the names and ages of every occupant (adults may be listed simply as 'adult').

Both the landlord (or agent) and the tenant must sign the form to verify it, and § 185-6 requires the completed form to be filed within 15 days of occupancy. Filing the form is what makes the unit 'a valid, legally registered dwelling unit' for purposes of any later legal proceeding (§ 185-4). The landlord also has to post their name, address, and phone number in the ground-floor hallway of the building (§ 185-5) and must give every tenant a copy of this chapter, the current administrative rules, and a tenant registration form, within 15 days of the amendment's effective date for tenants already in place (§ 185-7).