Jersey City, NJ real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
In Jersey City, a 1- or 2-family home or condo cannot be sold until the fire department signs off on its smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The city form asks for 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms. But you do not need a new certificate of occupancy to buy or sell, because the city does not issue new ones for sales.
What are the popular neighborhoods in Jersey City?
Popular Jersey City neighborhoods include Downtown, Paulus Hook, Hamilton Park, The Heights, Journal Square and Bergen-Lafayette. Each one prices differently, so ask your agent for recent sales in the ones you like.
Also near Jersey City:
What should you know before buying a home in Jersey City?
In Jersey City, read the flood part of the seller's disclosure before you sign. New Jersey sellers must tell you if the home is in a FEMA flood zone. If you plan to rent it out, the city has rent control, lead paint checks for older units, and a permit for short-term rentals.
The rules that apply everywhere in New Jersey are on the New Jersey page. These are the Jersey City details that trip people up.
Get pre-approved →- Read the flood answers first. Since March 20, 2024, every New Jersey seller must say on the disclosure form if the home is in a FEMA flood zone. They must also share what they know about past flooding. You get this before you are bound by the contract. The state has a free look-up tool.
- No new CO is needed for a sale. Jersey City does not issue new certificates of occupancy when a home is bought or sold. A new one is only needed after new building or a major renovation. Ask your agent to pull the CO already on file for the current use.
- Older rentals need lead checks. If you rent out a unit built before 1978, the city wants it checked for lead paint. The check is due every 3 years or at each new tenant, whichever comes first. Fines can reach $1,000 a week.
- Short stays need a city permit. You need a city short-term rental permit before you rent by the night. First you must get a zoning letter from the Division of Zoning. Then you apply on the city's online permit portal.
- Check rent control before you buy. The city enforces a rent control law, Chapter 260. If you buy a building with tenants, find out what rents are legal before you count on the income.
What should you do before selling a home in Jersey City?
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Before you sell, apply to Jersey City Fire Prevention for the smoke and CO alarm certificate. Bring the form and a $75 check or money order to Fire Headquarters, then wait for an inspector to email you a time. As the seller, you also pay the state realty transfer fee at closing.
Get the smoke and CO certificate.
Fill out the city form and bring it to Fire Headquarters with a $75 check or money order. An inspector will email you to set up a walk-through. Book it early so it does not hold up closing.
Put in the right alarms first.
The city form asks for 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms on each level and outside each sleeping area. It also asks for a CO alarm near the sleeping areas. Hard-wired alarms must stay. Do not swap them for battery ones.
The seller pays the transfer fee.
In New Jersey the seller pays the realty transfer fee. If the price is over $1 million, the seller also pays the graduated percent fee. It runs from 1% to 3.5% of the full price.
Jersey City real estate questions
Who pays the transfer fee and mansion tax in Jersey City?
The seller. The seller pays the state realty transfer fee. On sales over $1 million the seller also pays the graduated percent fee, once called the mansion tax. It is 1% up to $2 million and rises to 3.5% above $3.5 million, on the full price.
Do I need a new certificate of occupancy to sell?
No. Jersey City does not issue new certificates of occupancy for buying and selling. A new one is only needed for new building or a major renovation. You still need the fire department's smoke and CO alarm certificate.
How do I appeal my Jersey City property taxes?
File with the Hudson County Board of Taxation. The normal deadline is April 1. If the whole city was just revalued, it is May 1. Your appeal must be received by the deadline, not just mailed.
Can I Airbnb my Jersey City home?
Only with a city short-term rental permit. You must first get a zoning letter from the Division of Zoning. Then you apply on the city's online permit portal.
Is my rental under rent control?
It may be. The city's Division of Housing Preservation enforces the rent control law, Chapter 260. Check with the city before you raise rent or buy a building with tenants.
Buying or selling in Jersey City? Talk to a local agent.
An AXEN agent who works in Jersey City answers your questions for free. No cost to talk. No pressure to sign anything.