Howell, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Chapter 178 contains no short-term rental permit or license, so there is nothing to apply for. Section 178-29(C) says that no rental facility, rental unit, dwelling (including a duplex, multiple or single-family dwelling as defined in § 188-4) or residential structure, or any segment thereof, can be rented or leased for a term of less than 90 days. The definitions in § 178-17 are broad: a rental facility is any dwelling or building kept, used, maintained, advertised or held out as a place where living accommodations are supplied for pay or other consideration, and a rental unit includes individual apartments within residences, single-family homes, townhouses and condominium units.

Section 178-29(D) goes further and prohibits the lease or rental, for any purpose and for any period of time, of an amenity, feature or accessory appurtenant to a rental facility, rental unit, dwelling or residential structure, naming swimming pools, pool cabanas, accessory structures, hot tubs, decks, patios and yards. A lease of 90 days or longer is an ordinary rental and still needs landlord registration under § 178-18, a satisfactory inspection and a rental certificate under § 178-25, and § 178-24 bars occupancy of any rental unit that is not registered and approved.

Under § 178-1, the Construction Official, Director of Land Use, Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement Officials enforce the chapter. Under § 178-29(F), the Township can enjoin violations in any court of competent jurisdiction, and enforcement costs are assessed as a lien against the property, collectible like liens for delinquent real property taxes and municipal service charges. A rental certificate can be revoked for renting without first having obtained one under § 178-31(F).