Trenton, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Trenton City Code § 228-6 lists everything an owner must file with the Department of Inspections before a residential unit can appear on the Short-Term Rental Registry, and subsection K requires 'a copy of a valid property liability insurance policy providing coverage for each rental unit or short-term rental unit for which registration is sought,' adding that the policy 'shall be valid and in effect for the full term of the registration period.' Registration itself runs January 1 through December 31 (or an alternate twelve-month period set by the Department) per § 228-5.A, with no proration of fees regardless of when an owner applies.

The insurance filing sits alongside a long list of other required disclosures under § 228-6: owner and managing-agent contact information, a Trenton-based emergency contact with round-the-clock authority to make repair decisions, a mortgagee list, a floor plan showing the exact sleeping-room count, and a three-year retention requirement for renter contact records. Registration is reviewed against City department records on an ongoing basis under § 228-5.D, and a residential unit whose paperwork, including the insurance policy, is incomplete cannot lawfully be offered as a short-term rental under § 228-2.B. Owners must re-register whenever the unit changes hands, since § 228-7.A ties each registration number to a specific owner and unit and does not transfer on sale.