Which certificates you need to sell or rent a home, town by town in New Jersey
Certificate of occupancy Lakewood NJ: resale and rental rules
Confirm with the Lakewood Township offices before you rely on this page. Lakewood runs its resale certification through the Township Building Department (Department of Inspections) rather than a fire bureau: the smoke and carbon-monoxide inspection fee is $65, paid before an inspection is scheduled, with a $30 re-inspection fee that also applies when the inspector cannot get in. Sellers who are an estate, an LLC or a corporation must add an Ownership of Applicant form. Landlords need a Rental Certificate of Occupancy ($65 per unit) with landlord registration at the Township Clerk and a lead-safe certificate for pre-1978 units. Both current packets are scanned images whose file names end in 9.26 (September 2026); no validity window or lead time is stated, and no separate municipal resale certificate of continued occupancy was found. Sources on the town's own site: Smoke/Resale Certification Guidelines + Smoke Detector and Carbon Mono (undated); Rental CO Application Forms and Township Requirements (undated); Rental Certificate of Occupancy Application (undated). State rule for every sale or lease of a one- or two-family home: N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3 (text). Last checked 24 October 2026.
| Question | Answer | The town's own words |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal certificate needed before a sale | Yes: Smoke/Resale Certification: Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide certificate issued by the Township Building Department (Department of Inspections), with 'Ownership of Applicant for Resale Certification' form under Revised General Ordinance Chapter 15 Section 3.2. No separate municipal CCO for resale found. | OWNERSHIP OF APPLICANT FOR RESALE CERTIFICATION AS REQUIRED BY THE REVISED GENERAL ORDINANCE OF LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP (Chapter 15- Section 3.2) |
| Municipal certificate needed before a new tenant | Yes: Rental Certificate of Occupancy (Department of Inspections, Housing window) for each new tenant, with landlord registration at the Township Clerk and lead-safe certificate for pre-1978 units | Rental Certificate of Occupancy Application Township of Lakewood |
| Smoke and CO alarm certificate (state rule N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3) | Lakewood Township Building Department / Department of Inspections, 212 4th Street (not the fire department), fee $65 | The smoke inspection fee is $65. |
| Fee: Smoke/resale certificate (flat; paid before scheduling) | $65.00 | FEE $65.00 SMOKE DETECTOR AND CARBON MONOXIDE APPLICATION |
| Fee: Smoke/resale re-inspection (also charged when inspector has no access) | $30 | If a re-inspection is required, then there is a $30 re-inspection fee. |
| Fee: Rental Certificate of Occupancy application (per unit) | $65.00 | Applications are accepted from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm FEE $65.00 |
| Reinspection fee | $30 (smoke/resale); rental re-inspection fee amount not stated | NOTE: IF A REINSPECTION IS REQUIRED, THERE WILL BE A $30 FEE. |
| How early to apply | No lead time stated; payment must be made before an inspection is scheduled | Payment needs to be made prior to scheduling inspection. |
| Who applies | Present owner/seller (form lists present owner, seller's attorney, seller's agent, buyer, buyer's attorney/agent and a contact person for the inspection); LLC/corporate owners must add the Ownership of Applicant form | Call (732) 364-3760 ext. 5603 or email [email protected] to schedule after application has been submitted. |
| Lead-safe inspection for pre-1978 rentals | Lead-safe certification required with any rental CO application for property built before 1978 (effective 22 July 2022); fee not stated | Effective July 22, 2022, a Lead-safe certification must be provided upon applying for a rental certificate of occupancy for any property built prior to 1978. If property was built during or after 1978, no lead certification is required. |