Cresskill Borough

Certificate of Occupancy Required

Residential Resale/Rental Certificate (inspection certificate for resale) · Borough of Cresskill Building Department (Construction Official)

• Written application to the Construction Official with seller, buyer, closing date and room details
• All open permits must be inspected and closed before the resale inspection can be scheduled
• Visual inspection for flue connections, permitted water heaters and mechanical equipment, sump pumps not tied to the sanitary sewer, stove anti-tip brackets, rigid kitchen exhaust ducts, covered outlets and panels, no lamp cords on fixed appliances
• Handrails on four or more risers, guards on landings 30 inches above grade and open basement stairs, garage walls and ceilings next to the house sheetrocked
• Pool gates and fencing self-closing and latching (latches 54 inches above grade); lawn and bushes neatly trimmed
• Real estate sign needs a sign permit (asked on the application)
• Monitored alarm: have the password or someone on site to turn it off
• Separate smoke/CO certificate from the Fire Prevention Division (one check can cover both)

• Phone: 201-569-7775
• Timing: Code says the inspection is done within 10 days after the written request and payment, and the certificate is issued or denied within 10 working days after entry. Fees go up for requests made 10 or fewer business days before the inspection.
• Application: https://www.cresskillboro.com/index.php/government/forms/construction/848-residential-resale-rental-certificate-application/file

Smoke and CO alarm certificate Required

• Smoke alarm on every level including the basement (not needed in an unfinished attic); on sleeping floors within 10 feet of all bedroom doors
• Alarm type depends on when the home was built or renovated (battery on all levels before 1977 up to hardwired, interconnected with battery backup in every bedroom since March 1991); electric alarms cannot be replaced with battery alarms
• Any smoke alarm more than 10 years old must be replaced; alarms must be properly mounted (no Velcro or tape)
• Two-family homes: smoke alarm at each landing of common halls and stairways
• CO alarm within 10 feet of all bedroom doors in homes with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces or attached garages (UL 2034, NFPA 720); stand-alone CO alarms are treated as expired after 5 to 7 years unless documentation shows a longer life
• Low-voltage fire alarm systems are not tested by the Division; an NFPA 72 report from an approved contractor, no more than 30 days old, is required