New Brunswick City

Middlesex County

Certificate of Occupancy

Required

Certificate

Certificate of Code Compliance (owner-occupied 1-2 family sold to an owner-occupant: Letter of Exemption instead)

Issued by

Bureau of Housing Inspections, Division of Community Services

Requirements

Inspection checks for Building, Zoning and Property Maintenance Code violations; the seller must fix any violations before the sale
Required for all residential sales except owner-occupied 1-2 family homes
Owner-occupied 1-2 family home sold to a buyer who will live there: apply for a no-fee Letter of Exemption with a notarized Seller's Affidavit and Buyer's Affidavit
With the exemption, the buyer takes responsibility that all alterations, additions and renovations have zoning approval and valid construction permits; the seller must hand over those approvals and permits at closing
The smoke alarm/CO certificate is still required even with a Letter of Exemption

Fees

Code Compliance inspection, one- or two-family dwelling	$40.00
Code Compliance inspection, each additional unit	$20.00
Letter of Exemption (owner-occupied 1-2 family sold to an owner-occupant)	NO FEE

Phone

732-745-5075

Required

Requirements

Smoke alarms no older than 10 years, on every level and within 10 feet of sleeping rooms; on the ceiling or on the wall within 6 inches of the ceiling, at least 3 feet from ceiling fan blades and heating/AC registers
CO alarms no older than 7 years, on every level with sleeping rooms and within 10 feet of those rooms
10-year sealed battery smoke alarms required in 1-2 family homes; AC-powered (hard-wired) alarms may never be replaced with 10-year sealed battery alarms
Failure to obtain the certificate carries a $500.00 penalty
The City's April 2025 sheet still uses the older certificate name that includes a portable fire extinguisher, but it lists no extinguisher item

Last checked September 30, 2026

Sources