[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
The Supervisor of the Division of Housing and Code Enforcement is designated as of the officer to exercise the powers prescribed by this article.
[Adopted 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 94-22]
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
The Code adopted by the City of Bridgeton for the control and regulation of dwellings, premises, buildings or structures within the City of Bridgeton.
The Supervisor of the Division of Housing and Code Enforcement of the City of Bridgeton.
Any room or rooms, or suite or apartment thereof, whether furnished or unfurnished, which is occupied, or intended, arranged or designed to be occupied for sleeping or dwelling purposes by one or more persons, provided that this definition shall not be construed to include:
Any rooming house or boarding house as defined by the Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979, N.J.S.A. 55:13B-1 et seq.
Any hotel, motor hotel, motel, or established guest house which is commonly regarded as a motor hotel, motel; however this section is limited to hotels, motor hotels, and motels or established guest houses which contain at least 10 or more units of dwelling space or which have sleeping facilities for at least 25 or more persons and are kept, used, maintained, advertised as, or held out to be, a place where sleeping or dwelling accommodations are available to transient or permanent guests.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
The Supervisor or his representative is hereby authorized and directed to make inspections to determine the condition of dwellings, in order that he may perform his duty of safeguarding the health and safety of the occupants of the dwellings and of the general public. For the purpose of making such inspections, the Supervisor or his representative is hereby authorized to enter, examine and survey at all reasonable times all dwellings, dwelling units, rooming units and premises. The owner or occupant of every dwelling, dwelling unit and rooming unit, or the person in charge thereof, shall give the Supervisor or his representative free access to such dwellings, dwelling units, or rooming units and its premises at all reasonable times for the purpose of such inspections, examinations and surveys. Every occupant of a dwelling or dwelling unit shall give the owner or his agent or employee thereof, access to any part of such dwelling or dwelling unit; or its premises, at all reasonable times for the purpose of making such repairs or alterations as are necessary to effect compliance with the provisions of this article or with any lawful rule or regulation adopted or any lawful order issued pursuant to the provisions of this article.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
Whenever the Supervisor or his representative determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a violation of any provision of this article, or of any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, he shall give notice of such alleged violation to the record title owner and to all persons responsible therefor as provided in the Code.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
Whenever the Supervisor finds that an emergency exists which requires immediate action to protect the public health or safety, he may, without notice or hearing, issue an order reciting the existence of such emergency and requiring that such action be taken as he deems necessary to meet the emergency. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, such order shall be effective immediately. Any persons to whom such order is directed shall comply therewith immediately, but upon written request to the Supervisor shall be afforded a hearing as set out in the appeal procedures in the code.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
The Supervisor is hereby authorized and empowered to make and adopt such written rules and regulations as he may deem necessary for the proper enforcement of the provisions of this article; provided, however, that such rules and regulations shall not be in conflict with the provisions of this article, nor in any way alter, amend or supersede any of the provisions thereof. The Supervisor shall file a certified copy of all rules and regulations which he may adopt in his office and in the office of the Clerk of the City of Bridgeton.
No person shall occupy as owner occupant or rent to another for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit for the purpose of living therein which does not conform to the provisions of the code established as the standard[1] to be used in determining whether a dwelling is safe, sanitary and fit for human habitation, and to determine whether premises are being maintained in such condition as to not constitute blighting effect upon neighboring properties nor an element leading to a progressive deterioration and downgrading of neighboring properties with an accompanying diminution of property values.
[Amended 8-16-1999 by Ord. No. 99-5; 1-5-2010 by Ord. No. 09-07; 8-2-2011 by Ord. No. 11-03; 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
A.
No person shall rent, lease or let to any occupant or occupants, whether or not for consideration, a dwelling unit unless a housing permit has been obtained from the Supervisor. The housing permit shall be valid for a period of one year and shall be on a form prepared by the Supervisor. The housing permit shall be posted on the interior door of the entrance to the dwelling unit. The record title owner shall be responsible to renew the housing permit annually.
B.
Application. The housing permit shall not be issued by the Supervisor unless the following conditions are satisfied:
(1)
An application fee in the amount of as set forth in Chapter 149, Fees, Article II, Schedule of Fees, per year is paid to the City of Bridgeton. Said fee shall be paid no later than March 1 of each year. If not paid by March 1, the application fee as set forth in Chapter 149, Fees, Article II, Schedule of Fees, shall be in addition to any sanctions imposed by § 277-39.
(2)
Rental registration statement.
(a)
The owner of the building in which a unit of dwelling space is situated has, upon a form provided by the Supervisor, registered said premises, designating thereon the name, address and telephone number of the owner and the name, address and telephone number of an agent, who is located or residing within the County of Cumberland and who is charged by the owner with the responsibility for the property in an emergency involving the property or when the owner is not available, the names and address of the lessors of the property and the names and ages of all lessees and/or occupants. Such form shall require the signature of the owner.
(b)
No owner of a building in which a unit of dwelling space is rented, leased or let shall rent, lease or let such space without obtaining the names and ages of all lessees and occupants of said unit of dwelling space. At a change of ownership or a change of tenancy during the registration year, the owner of a building in which a unit of dwelling space is situated shall provide an updated rental registration statement to the City of Bridgeton, providing for the names and ages of all lessees and/or occupants. A change of tenancy shall also mean the addition or deletion of any person not included in the annual registration statement. Such updated registration statement shall require the signature of the owner.
(c)
The Supervisor may provide a copy of the rental registration statement to the Police Chief, the construction officer, the Fire Chief and the Board of Education of the City of Bridgeton. When providing a copy of the rental registration statement to any other person or entity, the rental registration statement shall be redacted to remove the names and ages of any children.
[Amended 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
Should any investigation or inspection pursuant to § 277-30 reveal that the dwelling unit does not conform in all respects with the provisions of this article and to the provisions of the code, the Supervisor may proceed in accordance with the code and establish reasonable time for correction of violations, and an opportunity of affected persons to be heard. In the event a reinspection reveals that the alleged violations have not been corrected and the unit of dwelling space continues to not conform in all respects to the provisions of this article and the provisions of the code, the Supervisor, in addition to all other remedies provided by this article, may revoke the permit issued pursuant to § 277-35.
[Amended 4-5-2004 by Ord. No. 03-22; 8-15-2023 by Ord. No. 23-18; 5-21-2024 by Ord. No. 24-11; 10-7-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
This section shall be in addition to the requirement of obtaining a housing permit as provided in § 277-35 of this article.
A.
No person shall rent, lease or let to any occupant or occupants, whether or not for consideration, any dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house or rooming unit unless a certificate of property compliance shall first have been obtained from the Supervisor. Said certificate shall certify that the building or unit is fit for human habitation and complies with the requirements of all ordinances of the City of Bridgeton which relate to housing. No tenant or occupant shall sublease, sublet or permit use of dwelling or lodging units without following the above procedure.
B.
Every rental unit shall be required to receive an inspection upon any change in occupancy. A change of occupancy inspection shall be good for 30 days from the date of the inspection. In the event of a subsequent change in occupancy occurring within 30 days of that initial inspection, provided that notice of such change has been given to the Department of Housing within the aforementioned thirty-day period, a certificate of property compliance listing the new occupant shall be issued without the need for an additional inspection.
No tenant or occupant of any dwelling, dwelling units, hotel, rooming house or rooming unit shall sublease, sublet or permit use of the dwelling or lodging unit without complying with the provisions of this article.
A.
Any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions of § 277-35 this article shall upon conviction thereof, be subject, for the first offense, to a fine of not more than $500. For a second offense, a person shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000. For a third or subsequent offense, a person shall be punished as provided in Chapter 1, Article III, General Penalty.
B.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any other provisions of this article shall upon conviction thereof be punished as provided in Chapter 1, Article III, General Penalty. Each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue, may constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such hereunder.
The City, by resolution of the City Council of the City of Bridgeton, may abate a nuisance, correct a defect, or put the premises in proper condition so as to comply with the code, or any other municipal ordinance or state law, at the cost of the owner or lessor, and expend municipal funds for such proposes and charge the same against the premises, and the amount thereof as determined by the City Council shall be a lien against the premises and may be collected as any other municipal lien or by an action at law.