Which certificates you need to sell or rent a home, town by town in New Jersey
New Brunswick NJ certificate of occupancy: sale and rental rules
Confirm with the New Brunswick City offices before you rely on this page. New Brunswick requires a Code Compliance Certificate from the Bureau of Housing Inspections before a sale ($40 for a one- or two-family house plus $20 per additional unit, no refunds), unless the house is owner-occupied and sold to an owner-occupant, in which case a no-fee Letter of Exemption with a notarized buyer's affidavit is enough. The state smoke and carbon-monoxide certificate is applied for only through the city's online portal and its fee is not stated on the city's information sheet, which is dated April 2025 and still titled with the portable fire extinguisher. Rentals are inspected every three years without a fee; no change-of-tenant certificate was found. The forms carry 2021 file dates. Sources on the town's own site: Residential Application for a Code Compliance Certificate (undated); Residential Application for a Letter of Exemption - NO FEE Owner to Ow (undated); Buyer's Affidavit (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: Code Compliance Certificate (Bureau of Housing Inspections, Chapter 15.12); owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings may instead get a no-fee Letter of Exemption with a notarized Buyer's Affidavit | Chapter 15.12 of the Revised General Ordinance requires that all residential, other than single and |
| Municipal certificate needed before a new tenant | Not stated in the documents fetched: Three-Year Rental Inspection under Property Maintenance Code 15.40.050 (no fee); no change-of-tenant certificate found on the city site | Property Maintenance Code 15.40.050, your above-referenced property is due to be inspected by |
| Smoke and CO alarm certificate (state rule N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3) | New Brunswick Fire Department, Division of Fire Safety (78 Bayard Street, 732-745-5086) | origin and cause of fires that occur within the City of New Brunswick. This Division also conducts SMOKE DETECTOR and CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM compliance inspections on all one and two family homes for sale or lease in the City. Additionally, the Division also participates in the Middlesex County Juve |
| Fee: Code Compliance Certificate inspection, one- or two-family dwelling (no timing tiers) | $40.00, plus $20.00 each additional unit | Fee for inspection of a one or two-family dwelling is $40.00. Each additional unit is $20.00. |
| Fee: Letter of Exemption, owner-occupant to owner-occupant | no fee | - NO FEE Owner to Owner - |
| Fee: Three-year rental inspection | no fee | Please Note: There is no fee for this 3-year inspection. |
| Who applies | seller/owner applies for the Code Compliance Certificate; the buyer signs the affidavit for the exemption route | Exemption and not to require a Certificate of Code Compliance in connection with this |
| Last rule change on record | Code compliance form: 'No refunds per Resolution: R-081125'; smoke info sheet file dated 2025-0404 still titled with Portable Fire Extinguisher | No refunds per Resolution: R-081125 |
| Online application | Yes: https://www.sdlportal.com/towns/nj/middlesex/newbrunswick/requests/smokeAlarm |