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

Section 164-15 ties the occupancy cap to the license itself. The Code Official calculates the maximum permitted occupancy under the Township Code and the International Property Maintenance Code, as applicable, and the number is printed on each seasonal rental license under a bold-faced warning. That warning says the limit will be strictly enforced and that no warnings will be given. It applies to rentals of fewer than 175 consecutive days, including the short-term rentals of 31 days or less covered by the special license in § 164-8, anywhere in Stafford Township including Manahawkin.

The penalty falls on tenants, not only the owner. Each tenant of the dwelling unit at the time of the violation is issued a summons for overcrowding with a fine of $100 each for the first violation. Successive violations can carry higher fines, and the license can be revoked for the duration of the season.

The limit is disclosed before anyone books. Under § 164-9E, the owner must obtain a certification in lieu of an affidavit from each prospective tenant, attach copies to the license application, and have each occupant acknowledge the total occupancy limits for the premises. The form's notice states that the limits apply to all occupants whether they are tenants or guests, and that a first offense fine is not less than $100 to each tenant. It also reminds tenants that anyone who was told the wrong maximum can have a claim under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, N.J.S.A. 56:12-1 et seq.

Related rules reinforce the cap. Section 164-9F requires a floor plan on the first application showing bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms and exit routes. Section 164-16D bans curtains, sheets, cardboard or other material used to build temporary partitions between beds or sleeping areas. Section 164-17 makes it unlawful to sleep in a vehicle parked on the premises between 1:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.