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

Howell Township's code does not name Airbnb, Vrbo or any other listing platform. What it prohibits is the advertisement itself. Section 178-29(E) bars the print, electronic or internet advertisement of any rental that is prohibited by, or fails to comply with, Article II or any other applicable provision of the Township Ordinances. Because § 178-29(C) prohibits renting any rental facility, rental unit, dwelling or residential structure for a term of less than 90 days, an internet listing for a stay of less than 90 days is an advertisement of a prohibited rental.

The same reach covers advertising the lease of an amenity such as a swimming pool, hot tub, deck or yard, which § 178-29(D) prohibits for any period of time. The subsection does not say who the advertiser must be, does not define a platform or hosting service, and sets no notice-and-takedown step. Section 178-29(F) applies the chapter's penalties to any landlord, tenant, property owner or other person violating the section, and gives the Township the right to enjoin violations in any court of competent jurisdiction by order to show cause or similar process, with enforcement costs assessed as a lien against the property.

Under § 178-30, the penalty is a fine of not less than $1,000 and not exceeding $2,000 upon conviction in the Howell Township Municipal Court or another court having jurisdiction, and each day a violation occurs is a separate violation. An owner who lists a lawful rental of 90 days or longer still needs landlord registration and a rental certificate under §§ 178-18 and 178-25, since an advertisement for a rental that fails to comply with Article II is itself prohibited.