Clifton, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Verification required
- Before booking service collects any fee
- Platform penalty
- Up to $2,000 per transaction
- Reporting failure penalty
- Up to $2,000 or year's fees
- Annual report filed with
- Clifton Department of Engineering
- Chapter sunset date
- December 31, 2026
Summary
Clifton bars booking services like Airbnb or Vrbo from collecting a fee on a Clifton short-term rental unless they first verify the listing's registration number through the City's verification system. Platforms that skip verification, or that miss annual reporting, face civil penalties of up to $2,000 per transaction under Section 378A-7.
It shall be unlawful for a booking service to charge, collect or receive a fee from a person in connection with a short-term rental property unless such booking service has used the verification system maintained by the City to: (1) Verify that the dwelling unit or housing accommodation that is the subject of such short-term rental is associated with the short-term rental registration number submitted by such person to the booking service and such registration is currently valid, that the uniform resource locator or listing identifier being used to offer the short-term rental is associated with the short-term rental registration number, and that the host and physical address information provided by such person to the booking service match the information maintained by the City... For each transaction in which a booking service charges, collects, or receives a fee, directly, or indirectly, for activity described in the definition of booking service in relation to a short-term rental in violation of this chapter, such booking service shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than $2,000 per transaction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963532; v64 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Clifton Code Section 378A-7, a booking service may not charge, collect or receive a fee connected to a short-term rental property unless it has used the verification system maintained by the City's Department of Engineering to confirm that the dwelling is tied to a currently valid short-term rental registration number, that the listing's URL or identifier matches that registration, and that the host name and physical address on file with the booking service match the City's records. The Department issues a confirmation once verification occurs, and a booking service must reconfirm registration any time it knows, or should know, that the underlying data has changed; the Department may set a minimum reverification period by rule.
Separately, Section 378A-7B requires each booking service to file an annual report with the Department of Engineering listing the public URL for each Clifton listing, proof of rental receipts showing how many times the property was booked and the revenue it grossed, and the verification confirmation for each transaction, with the platform certifying that verification actually happened. This sits inside Chapter 378A's broader short-term rental permit scheme, where a City Manager can revoke a rental permit after two or more substantiated complaints, or after three substantiated complaints about excessive guest vehicles, and a revoked property cannot reapply for one year.
Owners must also be current on taxes, water and sewer charges, and must resolve open code violations and construction permits before a permit issues. Notably, Section 378A-9 sunsets the entire short-term rental chapter on December 31, 2026, after which short-term rentals are not permitted in Clifton absent a new ordinance.
Violations & Fines
A booking service that charges a fee on an unverified Clifton listing is liable for a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per transaction under Section 378A-7C(1). A booking service that fails to file its required annual report is liable for a penalty, assessed once per reporting period for each unreported transaction, capped at $2,000 or the total fees the platform collected on that property, renter or registration number in the preceding year. Chapter-wide violations under Section 378A-8 can separately reach the STRP owner, agent and occupants for up to $2,000 per violation, per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clifton require Airbnb or Vrbo to check a listing's registration before taking a booking fee?
What penalty does a booking platform face for skipping Clifton's verification requirement?
What if a booking service never files its required annual report with Clifton?
Will short-term rentals still be legal in Clifton after 2026?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clifton
Compare Clifton to another location·View the New Jersey short-term rentals overview
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