Jersey City, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition test
- Owner must reside at the STR or its associated unit
- Principal residence proof
- Driver's license/State ID legal address
- Owner-occupied categories
- Condo/HOA units, single-family homes, 2-4 unit buildings
- Non-owner-occupied path
- Capped at 60 nights/year, buildings ≤4 units
- Grandfather clause
- One pre-2019 non-owner-occupied STR may continue
Summary
Jersey City limits most short-term rentals to properties that are the owner's principal residence. The code's definitions tie 'owner-occupied' directly to where the owner actually lives, and § 255-2(B) restricts permitted STR categories, like condo units and single-family homes, to owners who identify that address as their principal residence.
"Owner-occupied" shall mean the owner of the property who resides in the short-term rental property, or in the principal residential unit with which the short-term rental property is associated on the same lot, and identifies same as his or her principal residence as that term is defined in this section. ..."Principal residence" shall mean the address: (1) where at least one of the property owners spends the majority of his or her non-working time; (2) which is most clearly the center of his or her domestic life; and (3) which is identified on his or her driver's license or State identification card as being his or her legal address. ...Short-term rentals shall only be permitted to be conducted in the following classifications of property in the City of Jersey City:(1)Dwelling units located in a condominium association, homeowners association, or cooperative association, where the association's bylaws...permits short-term rentals and where the owner of the unit legally identifies an address within the association as his or her principal residence; and(2)Individually or collectively owner-occupied single-family residences.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 255's definitions in § 255-1 do the substantive work here. 'Owner-occupied' means the owner resides in the short-term rental property, or in the principal residential unit associated with it on the same lot, and identifies that address as his or her principal residence, and if the owner is an entity, at least one principal or member must live there and make the same identification. 'Principal residence' is defined with three cumulative tests: it's the address where the owner spends the majority of non-working time, is most clearly the center of domestic life, and is listed as the legal address on the owner's driver's license or state ID, all three must be met.
' Two-family and small multi-unit buildings likewise require that at least one unit in the building be owner-occupied. Non-owner-occupied properties fall outside these categories entirely and, per § 255-2(F), can only rent unhosted subject to a strict 60-night annual cap and a four-unit building-size ceiling, with a narrow grandfather exception in § 255-2(H) for owners who already operated a second, non-owner-occupied STR before the 2019 ordinance took effect.
Violations & Fines
Operating an STR at a property that does not meet the owner-occupied classifications of § 255-2(B), without qualifying for the § 255-2(H) grandfather exception, is a violation of Chapter 255 subject to § 255-7 fines of $100 to $2,000 per violation per day, plus permit denial or revocation by the Division of Housing Preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Jersey City short-term rental have to be my primary home?
How does Jersey City define 'principal residence' for STR purposes?
Can I run a non-owner-occupied Airbnb in Jersey City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jersey City
Compare Jersey City to another location·View the New Jersey short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.