Passaic County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals. New Jersey leaves this to municipalities under home rule. Some towns limit STRs to owner-occupied or primary residences; others do not. West Milford permits rentals of dwellings without a statewide owner-occupancy mandate.
Whether a short-term rental must be the owner's primary residence is a local zoning choice, not a county or statewide rule. Under the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1), each Passaic County municipality decides if STRs are allowed only in owner-occupied homes, capped to certain zones, or barred entirely. West Milford's § 285-13 regulates short-term rentals through a permit and responsible-party system rather than a blanket primary-residence-only rule. Because the patchwork varies sharply between Clifton, Paterson, Wayne, Ringwood, and West Milford, always verify your specific town's ordinance before buying an investment property to rent short-term.
Enforcement is municipal. Renting in violation of a town's owner-occupancy or zoning limit can bring fines, cease-and-desist orders, and denial or revocation of any STR permit under the local ordinance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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