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

Section 378A-2B ties STR eligibility to a specific principal-residence test defined in § 378A-1B: the address where an owner spends the majority of non-working time, that is the center of domestic life, and that appears as the legal address on the owner's driver's license or State ID. All three elements must be met. Under § 378A-2B, permitted STR classifications are limited to (1) a single-family residence one owner identifies as a principal residence, (2) one unit of a two-family dwelling where the owner occupies and lives in the other unit, (3) a unit in a multi-family dwelling where another unit is owner-occupied, and (4) up to two rooms sharing a kitchen and bath within an owner-occupied single-family home.

Section 378A-2C explicitly bars short-term rental of condominiums and townhomes, any single-family home none of the owners identify as their principal residence, a non-owner-occupied unit in a two-family dwelling, a shared-facility room in a home where the resident is not the owner, three or more rooms rented within one single-family dwelling, and illegal basement or attic apartments. Applicants must submit a copy of their driver's license or State ID confirming the STRP is their principal residence and swear under oath to that fact (§ 378A-4A(3), (4)).

Because the permit is tied to the specific owner's occupancy, § 378A-3G provides that the permit automatically expires when the property changes ownership, and the new owner must reapply and show they meet the principal-residence test before renting short-term again.