Bayonne, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Bayonne's short-term rental ordinance draws a sharp line between owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied rentals. Under City Code § 33-20.2.e, except for the narrow grandfathering exception in § 33-20.2.h, any dwelling unit rented as a short-term rental while the owner or operator is not present may be rented for no more than 60 total nights in a calendar year. The code makes enforcement automatic rather than discretionary: § 33-20.2.e states that each night in excess of this limit shall be considered a separate violation, so an operator who exceeds the cap accrues one violation per additional night rather than a single citation.

The ordinance goes further in § 33-20.2.f, prohibiting non-owner-occupied short-term rentals entirely in any multiple dwelling containing more than four separate units, and making it a violation to rent or to advertise such properties. The 60-night cap and the four-unit building ban work together with Bayonne's owner-occupancy scheme in § 33-20.2.b: because most eligible short-term rentals must have an owner living on-site or in an associated unit, the 60-night limit chiefly targets the narrow set of properties, such as the § 33-20.2.h grandfathered units, where an owner is not present.

Operators must still hold a valid short-term rental permit from the Department of Planning, Zoning, and Development under § 33-20.3 regardless of whether the property is owner-occupied.