Bloomfield, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)

Section 433-6I of the Bloomfield Township Code, amended 8-14-2023 by Ord. No. 23-40, treats a listing as the offense itself. Failure to apply for and obtain a short-term rental permit before advertising the property in print publications or newspapers, on any internet-based booking platforms, or online, or in the MLS or another listing of a real estate agent licensed by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission, is equivalent to operating without a permit. It is a violation of the chapter and results in enforcement action and the issuance of a summons. The penalty language names the short-term rental property owner, the short-term rental agent and the responsible party.

Section 433-3B repeats the rule from the permit side: no person or entity can operate or advertise a residential property as a short-term rental without first having a permit from the Fire Department, and failure to hold a valid permit before advertising in any print, digital or internet advertisement or web-based platform, or in the MLS or any realtor's listing, is a violation.

Once permitted, listings must carry the number. Under § 433-4F, the permit holder must publish the Township-issued permit number in every print, digital or internet advertisement, and in the MLS or other real estate listing of a New Jersey licensed agent, in which the property is advertised for rent on a short-term basis.

The chapter also limits other forms of promotion. Section 433-6C bars the owner from installing advertising or identifying mechanisms such as signage, including lawn signage, identifying the property as a short-term rental. Section 433-6J extends liability to tenants who sublease or list a unit, with a summons and fines for the tenant, owner, agent and responsible party. Because a permit is tied to a single owner and a single property under § 433-3B, a listing cannot borrow another property's permit number.