Jackson, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Chapter 350, adopted 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 12-20
- Minimum rental term
- 30 days; shorter terms banned outright (§ 350-3)
- Owner-occupancy rule
- Dwelling must be owner-occupied year round (§ 350-4B(7))
- Enforcing agencies
- Code Enforcement Officer and Police Department
- Penalty basis
- Max fines under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 and 40:69A-29
Summary
Jackson Township bans all short-term rentals under 30 days under § 350-3 of the Township Code. The narrow room-rental exception in § 350-4 allows leasing a single room only if, among other conditions, the dwelling is owner-occupied year round under § 350-4B(7), closing off absentee-owner vacation rentals through this carve-out.
§ 350-3. Short-term rentals prohibited. No dwelling, or segment thereof, may be rented or leased for a term of less than 30 days. § 350-4. Room rentals. ... ... B. The lease or rental of a single room within a dwelling is permitted, provided the following conditions are satisfied: ... (7) The dwelling is owner-occupied year round.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 350 of the Jackson Township Code, adopted August 11, 2020 by Ordinance No. 12-20, was written to curb websites that broker transient stays in residential neighborhoods, and § 350-3 flatly prohibits leasing any dwelling or segment of a dwelling for less than 30 days. The chapter carves out one exception in § 350-4: a single room inside a dwelling may be rented, but only if all eleven conditions in § 350-4B are met simultaneously. Chief among them, § 350-4B(7) requires that the dwelling itself remain owner-occupied year round, meaning the property cannot be an investment unit rented out while the owner lives elsewhere.
The same subsection also requires a rental certificate of occupancy under Chapter 234, registration with the Township under N.J.S.A. 46:8-28 and § 245-1, a minimum of two bedrooms, and a tenancy of at least one month for no more than one tenant. This owner-occupancy condition works with the 30-day minimum in § 350-3 to close off the vacation-rental model entirely: a homeowner cannot list a spare dwelling under 30 days at all, and even the permitted long-term room-rental option only exists while the owner is living on site.
The Code Enforcement Officer and the Jackson Township Police Department enforce the chapter under § 350-8, and § 350-9 ties violations to the maximum fines and penalties set by N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 and 40:69A-29, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 350, including renting a non-owner-occupied dwelling on a short-term basis, exposes the owner to the maximum fines and penalties allowed under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 and 40:69A-29 per § 350-9A. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense under § 350-9B, and conduct that also breaches other Township Code provisions, such as rental registration, draws additional separate fines under § 350-9C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out my Jackson Township house on Airbnb for a weekend?
Does the room-rental exception let me rent a room in a house I don't live in?
What happens if I violate the short-term rental ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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