Elizabeth, NJ Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Total annual fee
- $200.00
- Application/registration portion
- $75.00
- Carbon monoxide inspection portion
- $75.00
- Zoning inspection portion
- $50.00
- Refund policy
- Non-refundable even if denied
- Renewal notice
- 60 days before expiration, §5.90.030(F)
Summary
Elizabeth's short-term rental license costs $200 a year, broken into a $75 application/registration fee, a $75 carbon monoxide inspection fee, and a $50 zoning inspection fee for the required rental certificate of occupancy, under Code Section 5.90.030(C), and the payment is non-refundable even if denied.
An owner of property intended to serve as a short-term rental property shall submit to the bureau of central licensing, a short-term rental license application provided by the city, along with an annual fee of $200.00. This fee includes the application/registration fee ($75.00), carbon monoxide inspection ($75.00), and the zoning inspection required to obtain a rental certificate of occupancy ($50.00). Said fee shall be non-refundable, even if the application is denied.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
00 zoning inspection fee that covers the review needed for the rental certificate of occupancy. The fee is non-refundable even if the city denies the application. 030(E) makes the fee a recurring cost, not a one-time charge: the license and the rental certificate of occupancy must both be renewed annually, on the anniversary of the original issuance, with a new renewal application and the same annual fee. 030(F) adds a notice cycle around that renewal: the chief license inspector must give a license holder sixty days' notice before expiration, and the owner must tell the inspector in writing within thirty days if they don't plan to renew.
030(G) provides that the license expires automatically when the STR property is sold, and the new owner must file a fresh initial application and pay the first-time registration fee again if they want to continue using the unit as a short-term rental. A. 030(H).
Violations & Fines
Operating an STR after the license or rental certificate of occupancy lapses for non-payment of the renewal fee is treated the same as operating without a license under Section 5.90.030(B), a violation of Chapter 5.90 punishable under Section 5.90.060(D) by a fine of $250 to $2,000, with each day of continued operation a separate offense in Elizabeth Municipal Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a short-term rental license cost in Elizabeth?
Do I have to pay the STR fee again every year?
What happens to my STR license if I sell the property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elizabeth
How Elizabeth compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Elizabeth to another location·View the New Jersey short-term rentals overview
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