Passaic, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Host Platform Liability (2026)
Key Facts
- Who can be fined
- Owner, agent, responsible party, and any intermediary
- Fine range
- $100 to $2,000 per violation per day
- Intermediary defined
- Includes brokers and hosting platforms collecting rent
- Enacted
- Ordinance No. 2512-26, February 3, 2026
Summary
Passaic's short-term rental ordinance reaches beyond owners to reach hosting platforms directly: Code of the City of Passaic § 100-1 defines 'intermediary' to include any broker or hosting platform that arranges a rental and collects rent, taxes, or fees on the owner's behalf, and § 100-15K makes any intermediary liable for fines alongside the owner.
INTERMEDIARY — Is anyone besides an owner who helps to arrange a property rental for an owner and collects rent and/or taxes and other charges on behalf of the owner. An intermediary includes but is not limited to a broker, hosting platform, or short-term rental property agent. ... A violation of any provision of this chapter may subject the short-term rental property owner, transient occupant(s), the short-term rental property agent, the responsible party, and any intermediary, or their agents, to fines assessed by the Court of up to $2,000 per violation, but not less than $100 per violation per day that the violation exists.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4978046; v41 updated 2026-07-01; through 07-01-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 100's Short-Term Rental Registration ordinance, adopted by Ordinance No. 2512-26 on February 3, 2026, defines an INTERMEDIARY at § 100-1 as 'anyone besides an owner who helps to arrange a property rental for an owner and collects rent and/or taxes and other charges on behalf of the owner,' expressly including a broker, hosting platform, or short-term rental property agent. That definition matters because § 100-15K does not confine liability to the property owner: a violation of any provision of the chapter may subject the short-term rental property owner, transient occupant(s), the short-term rental property agent, the responsible party, and any intermediary, or their agents, to fines.
Advertising rules reinforce this, § 100-15H(2) makes any print, digital, or listing advertisement that omits the city-issued certificate number a separate violation for every day it stays posted, and that provision applies to the owner, the responsible party, the short-term rental agent, and the intermediary together. In practice, this means a hosting platform that lists an unregistered or falsely-numbered Passaic short-term rental, or that collects rent for one, can be cited alongside the property owner rather than being treated as a neutral pass-through.
Violations & Fines
Fines run from a minimum of $100 up to $2,000 per violation per day the violation exists, assessed by the Municipal Court against the owner, responsible party, agent, or intermediary under § 100-15K. Where a fine on an owner for a housing or zoning violation would exceed $1,250, the owner gets a 30-day cure period and a hearing right before the fine is imposed, consistent with N.J.S.A. 40:49-5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a hosting platform like Airbnb be fined for a Passaic listing?
Does an unregistered listing without a certificate number create liability for the platform?
How large can the fine against a short-term rental intermediary get in Passaic?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Passaic
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