Bayonne, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Bayonne's short-term rental ordinance (§ 33-20, added by Ord. No. O-24-12 on February 14, 2024, and amended by Ord. No. O-24-37 on June 12, 2024) restricts most short-term rentals in the City of Bayonne to owner-occupied property. City Code § 33-20.1.b defines "owner-occupied" as the owner residing in the short-term rental property itself, or in the principal residential unit associated with it on the same lot, and identifying that unit as a "principal residence." The code defines principal residence narrowly: the address where the owner spends most of his or her non-working time, the center of the owner's domestic life, and the address on the owner's driver's license or State identification card.

Under § 33-20.2.b, eligible STR classifications include individually or collectively owner-occupied single-family homes, one unit of a two-family home where the other unit is owner-occupied, and up to two units in a three- or four-unit multiple dwelling where another unit is owner-occupied. A single-family home may also run a bed-and-breakfast of up to three rooms if the owner occupies the remainder as a principal residence, per § 33-20.2.b.6. If the owner is an entity rather than an individual, § 33-20.1.b requires at least one principal or member of that entity to reside in the unit and claim it as a principal residence.

Applicants must document this at permitting: § 33-20.4.a requires a copy of the owner's driver's license or State ID confirming the STR is the owner's principal residence, along with a sworn acknowledgment of compliance filed with the Bayonne Department of Planning, Zoning, and Development.