Jersey City, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Section 255-2(F) draws a hard line based on host presence: 'Rentals of any dwelling unit where the owner/operator of the short-term rental property is not present shall be prohibited in dwelling units located in any multiple dwellings that contain more than four separate dwelling units. ' This works alongside § 255-2(E), which caps unhosted rentals generally at 60 nights a year, but § 255-2(F) goes further for larger buildings: once a multiple dwelling has more than four units, an unhosted STR is not permitted there at all, regardless of nights used.

The presence distinction traces back to the permitted-use classifications in § 255-2(B), most of which already require the owner to be occupying the property and claiming it as a principal residence; § 255-2(F) closes the door on stacking unhosted rentals into larger apartment buildings even where an owner-occupied unit elsewhere in the same building might otherwise qualify the property under § 255-2(B)(4) or (5). The rule is enforced by the Division of Housing Preservation as part of permit review under § 255-4, and the city can also revoke an existing permit under § 255-6(I) if a property in violation of the presence-based building cap draws substantiated complaints.