Plainfield, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Plainfield's Land Use Ordinance (Ch. 17) does not contain a separate short-term rental section, and city staff direct STR questions back to the Zoning Division at (908) 226-2578. The binding control on overnight headcount comes from Plainfield's Certificate of Compliance program: under the city Code, no person may lease, rent, let, or otherwise deliver up for occupancy any building, structure, or premises (including a dwelling unit or rooming unit) without first obtaining a certificate of compliance from the Director, Division of Inspections. A CO is issued after an inspection finds the unit in compliance with the Plainfield Property Maintenance Code, the Uniform Construction Code where applicable, and the Plainfield Zoning Ordinance. The CO can be denied for, among other things, occupancy not consistent with Building Department records and the zoning ordinance, which means renting bedrooms or beds beyond what the unit was approved for is treated as illegal occupancy. The state-level overlay also matters: N.J.A.C. 5:10 (Bureau of Housing Inspection) and the State Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law (N.J.S.A. 55:13A) set minimum sleeping-room area, light, ventilation, and life-safety conditions that apply when a unit is rented. There is no published Plainfield persons-per-bedroom STR cap; the practical maximum is the bedroom count reflected on the Certificate of Compliance plus the room-area minimums in N.J.A.C. 5:10, not a self-selected guest count chosen by the host. Hosts cannot create new sleeping spaces in dens, basements, or living rooms without going back through the CO inspection and any Uniform Construction Code permits required under N.J.A.C. 5:23.