Can you Airbnb in East Orange, NJ?

What the rules say in East Orange

• STR defined as the accessory use of a dwelling unit for occupancy by someone other than the owner or permanent resident for 28 or fewer consecutive days (228-1).
• Annual STR permit from the East Orange Short-Term Rental Subdivision required before renting or even advertising; nonrefundable $750 initial and $750 renewal fee; permit is non-transferable and expires automatically on change of ownership (228-3).
• Owner-occupancy effectively required. STRs are permitted only in: owner-occupied single-family homes; two-family homes with one unit owner-occupied; up to two units in a four-unit multiple dwelling where another unit is owner-occupied; condo/HOA/co-op units that are the owner's principal residence and whose governing documents permit STR; or an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast of no more than 3 rooms (228-2).
• Tenants may not apply for a permit, sublease short-term, or operate an STR; this supersedes any lease clause permitting subleasing (228-2).
• Rentals where the owner/operator is not present are capped at 60 total nights per calendar year (each excess night a separate violation) and are prohibited in multiple dwellings with more than four units (228-2).
• Ineligible properties: HUD or rent-regulated multiple dwellings, PILOT/tax-abated properties, hotels, motels, rooming houses, dormitories, institutional and student/religious/government housing (228-2, 228-3).
• Narrow grandfather clause: an owner operating two STRs at adoption could keep one non-owner-occupied STR if a designated individual resides on-site; tenant-run STRs had to wind down by lease end or January 1, 2025 (228-2).
• Application requires proof the property is the owner's principal residence (driver's license, utility bills, sworn acknowledgment), passed fire-safety and Property Maintenance Code inspections (within past 6 months initially, 3 years on renewal), a zoning compliance certificate, proof of ownership, and general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per claim and aggregate (228-4).
• Eligibility screens: no more than one unsafe-structure notice in the past year, no noise-ordinance violations in the past 2 years, all code violations abated, open construction permits closed, and current on city taxes, water, and sewer (228-3).
• Operating rules: max 3 STR contracts at a time per dwelling unit; permit number in every advertisement; no signage identifying the STR; guest log; each rental registered with the city within 48 hours; primary renter must be 21+; renters limited to one vehicle per two occupants; owner/agent reachable 24/7 with 2-hour response (228-4, 228-6).
• Permit revoked after three substantiated complaints (or one, at the city's discretion), with a one-year bar on reapplying; two substantiated excessive-vehicle complaints also trigger revocation (228-6).
• Penalties: fines up to $2,000 per violation and not less than $100 per violation per day, with a 30-day cure period before municipal court (228-7).

Sources: City of East Orange Code, Chapter 228 Short-Term Rentals (eCode360) - full primary text, sections 228-1 to 228-7; City of East Orange, NJ municipal code table of contents (eCode360). Last reviewed 2026-07.