Which certificates you need to sell or rent a home, town by town in New Jersey
Certificate of occupancy Manchester NJ: resale and rental rules
Confirm with the Manchester Township offices before you rely on this page. Manchester issues its own combined Certificate of Re-occupancy, a property-maintenance checklist plus the smoke and carbon-monoxide alarm check, through the Township Department of Inspections rather than the county Fire Marshal: $100 for a resale or rental inspection, $400 in total for a next-working-day inspection requested within 24 hours of closing, $50 for a missed appointment or locked door, $100 for a failed re-inspection; pre-1978 rentals add $20 per unit for the lead-safe check. The applications were revised 1 September 2026, when the accelerated fee rose from $300 (the November 2025 form) under ordinance 26-39, and no longer list the extinguisher; the 2021 form with the old $175 and $185 fees is still online. No validity period or minimum lead time is stated. Sources on the town's own site: Certificate of Smoke Alarm & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance - Non-Re (Revised: 9-1-2026); Certificate of Smoke Alarm & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance - Rental (Revised: 9-1-2026); Ordinance #26-39 repealing and replacing sections of Chapters 133 & 17 (introduced July 2026, second reading scheduled 10 August 202). 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: Certificate of Re-occupancy (combined municipal re-occupancy inspection and Certificate of Smoke Alarm & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance), Department of Inspections, Land Use & Planning | Please be reminded that no dwelling unit may be occupied until a Certificate of Re-occupancy approval has been issued by this Department. |
| Municipal certificate needed before a new tenant | Yes: Certificate of Re-occupancy - Rental Inspection Application (plus landlord registration and lead certificate for pre-1978) | Year Built: _____________ * If built prior to 1978 – a Lead certificate is required. * |
| Smoke and CO alarm certificate (state rule N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3) | Manchester Township Department of Inspections, Land Use & Planning (Construction Official is also Fire Marshal), 1 Colonial Drive, (732) 657-8121; not the Ocean County Fire Marshal, fee $100.00 inspection; $400.00 for next-working-day inspection | Payments: $100.00 Inspection $400.00 Inspection – Next Working Day |
| Fee: standard inspection (resale or rental) | $100 | Residential smoke detector compliance $100 |
| Fee: inspection request 24 hours or less before closing (accelerated, next working day) - additional | +$300 (total $400 on the Sept 2026 forms) | 1) Inspection request 24 hours or less before closing – an additional (+) $300 |
| Fee: pre-1978 rental lead-safe inspection add-on per unit | $20.00 | * An additional $20.00 fee per unit shall be assessed pursuant to above stated P.L. * |
| Reinspection fee | $50 for missed appointment / locked door; $100 for a failed re-inspection; $100 if deficient for smoke or CO alarm | $50.00—Re-inspection Fee for Missed Appointment. A failed re-inspection shall result in an additional $100.00 fee. |
| How early to apply | No minimum lead time stated; next-working-day option exists if payment received by 3:00 p.m.; open permits block the accelerated option | All payments must be received by 3:00 p.m. for a next day inspection whether in person or via our on-line citizen portal. |
| Who applies | Owner/Seller (or contact person handling the inspection); for rentals the owner with landlord driver's licence copy | Owner/Seller Name: ___________________________________ |
| Lead-safe inspection for pre-1978 rentals | Lead-Safe Certificate required for pre-1978 rentals at tenant turnover; Township assesses an additional $20.00 per unit | must be inspected upon tenant turnover but no later than July 22, 2024 |
| Last rule change on record | Sept 2026 forms raised the next-working-day inspection to $400 (Nov 2025 form: $300; 2021 form: $175/$185) and dropped the fire extinguisher; Ordinance 26-39 (second reading 10 Aug 2026) sets $100 + $300 accelerated | www.manchestertwp.com Revised: 9-1-2026 |
| Online application | Yes: https://manchestertwpnj.portal.fasttrackgov.com/Common/ApplicationLinks.aspx |