Housing FAQ
The Division of Housing Issues a Certificate of Inspection for the resale or rental of a property. A Certificate of Occupancy Is Issued by the Construction Official when a structure Is first constructed or a reconstruction or major renovation is done.
There is an application which can be picked up in our office or downloaded from our website. You must complete the application and submit it with the fee of $80.00 to our office. The owner or their agent must contact our office to schedule the inspection,
No. The fee and application must be received by our office before we will schedule an inspection. No exceptions.
Yes, a Certificate of Inspection is required prior to the transfer of ownership.
The seller is responsible for obtaining the Certificate of Inspection. However, there are times when the buyer may be responsible for obtaining the Certificate of Inspection such as an "as is" sale or bank-owned property or foreclosure. If you are the buyer you should check with your agent or attorney to verify who Is responsible for obtaining the certificate.
A Certificate of Inspection expires one year from the original inspection date.
There is an application which can be picked up In our office or downloaded from our website. You must complete the application and submit it with the fee of $75.00. The owner must contact our office to schedule the inspection.
The Certificate of Inspection is valid for as long as the current tenant remains at the property. Once the tenant changes a new Certificate of Inspection will be required.
Yes, an inspection is required each time the tenant changes. This inspection must be performed before a new tenant can move In. If any life safety violations are found then a tenant cannot move in until the violations are corrected and reinspected.
No. The application and fee must be submitted either In-person or by regular mail with the payment. We do not accept emailed or faxed applications or electronic payments.
Our office accepts checks, exact cash, money orders or we can accept Visa or Mastercard (credit only, no debit) In the office.
We do not accept electronic payments or payments over the phone.
No there is no fee for a re-inspection.
Certificates of Inspection are usually typed the following business day after the Inspection. We can mall the certificate (via regular mail) or you may pick It up In our office after 10:00 a.m. We do not email or fax the certificates.
No, a separate certificate is not required. The smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are inspected during the housing Inspection and included as part of the Certificate of Inspection
Generally, we can schedule an inspection within two weeks. However, there are times when it can take longer depending on how many inspections are being requested, holidays, and vacation schedules. The seller and his or her agents are advised to allow an adequate amount of time prior to closing to schedule an inspection.
Yes, a Certificate of Inspection Is required prior to the transfer of the property.
No. We do not expedite appointments. Failing to allow an adequate amount of time may result in you having to delay the sale of the property or prevent a new tenant from occupying the property.
Yes, a buyer can assume most violations. The buyer must write us a letter stating which violations they are assuming and indicate the date when the violations will be corrected. If any of the violations that are being assumed are life safety violations, the property cannot be occupied until the life safety violations are corrected and reinspected. If there is a failed septic system on the property or outstanding permits these must be addressed by the current owner prior to closing.
The amount of time an inspection will take varies depending on the size or condition of a property. We allot approximately 60-90 minutes for a single/two-family dwelling and approximately 30 minutes for a condo/townhouse or rental inspection.
Our office is open 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. We usually schedule inspections between 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Inspections are not scheduled between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. All Inspections are scheduled for a specific time and the inspector makes every effort to be there on time. However, due to unforeseen circumstances such as traffic, weather, or inspections taking longer than expected the inspector may arrive late.
Our inspection is a general safety inspection. Download this Pre-Inspection Checklist for more information.
It lists the most commonly inspected items.
Please be advised that this is only a general guideline and the inspector may note violations not listed on the pre-inspection checklist.
If the property is occupied then an adult would need to be present for the inspection.
If the property is vacant and there is a lockbox the inspector can perform the inspection without anyone present. (The applicant must supply our office with the lockbox code and location when scheduling the inspection.)
No. The State of New Jersey does not have any laws that establish, govern, or control rent. Municipalities may pass an ordinance establishing rent control or rent leveling. Lawrence Township does not have a rent control ordinance. Exceptions are affordable housing units.
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