Toms River, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Extended Home Share (2026)
Key Facts
- Townshipwide minimum stay
- 30 days
- Barrier island minimum stay
- 2 days
- Barrier island season
- April 1 - November 30
- Enforcers
- Property Maintenance Bureau, Police
- Penalty basis
- N.J.S.A. 40:49-5, 40:69A-29
Summary
Toms River Township bans short-term rentals townshipwide: no dwelling or room may be leased for less than 30 days. The Township carves out one exception for the barrier island between Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, where landlords may rent for a minimum of two days from April 1 through November 30, matching the shore season.
§ 335-39. Short-term rentals prohibited. No dwelling, or segment thereof, may be rented or leased for a term of less than 30 days. § 335-40. Exception for barrier island. [Amended 5-9-2017 by Ord. No. 4546-17] Notwithstanding the restriction set forth in § 335-39, minimum rentals of two days are permitted during the period from April 1 through November 30 on the barrier island. BARRIER ISLAND: The area of the Township juxtaposed geographically between the Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4954830; v33 updated 2026-04-22; through 04-22-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The article's purpose clause (§ 335-38) explains the Township adopted this rule to stop residential neighborhoods from being converted into "flophouses" by websites that broker transient stays, and it does not apply to lawfully operating hotels, motels, rooming houses, boardinghouses or bed-and-breakfasts. Section 335-40, amended May 9, 2017 by Ord. No. 4546-17, carves out the Township's barrier island, defined in § 335-37 as "the area of the Township juxtaposed geographically between the Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean": there, a landlord may rent for as little as two days at a time, but only during the season running April 1 through November 30.
Outside that window, or off the barrier island, the 30-day floor applies to any dwelling or "segmented dwelling," meaning a room or section that is less than the entire unit. Owners who advertise a rental that does not comply, whether in print, electronically or online, separately violate § 335-44. Enforcement is split between the Bureau of Property Maintenance and the Police Department (§ 335-45). A. 40:49-5 and 40:69A-29, and each day a prohibited rental continues counts as its own separate violation (§ 335-46). A rental certificate of occupancy can also be revoked or suspended for renting in violation of this article, or automatically suspended after a third notice of violation while charges are pending (§§ 335-47, 335-49).
Violations & Fines
Renting outside the 30-day floor, or outside the two-day/April-through-November barrier island window, exposes an owner to the maximum fines and penalties under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 and 40:69A-29, with every day of a noncompliant rental counted as a separate offense (§ 335-46). The Bureau of Property Maintenance and the Police Department both have authority to enforce the rule (§ 335-45), and a rental certificate of occupancy can be suspended after a third violation notice (§ 335-49).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent my Toms River home for a weekend?
What counts as the barrier island for this exception?
What happens if a landlord advertises an illegal short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Toms River
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