Petition
New Jersey has a housing affordability problem—and thousands of homes have unused bedrooms.

New Jersey already recognizes that owner-occupied homeowners should be able to rent rooms. N.J.S.A. 40:55D-68.4 protects qualifying senior homeowners from municipal bans on renting rooms in their primary residences.

We believe this protection should be expanded to all owner-occupied households, with reasonable standards for fire safety, health, septic capacity, parking, and owner occupancy.

We are asking New Jersey lawmakers to:
1. Expand the existing senior room-rental protection to all owner-occupied single-family homes.

2. Prevent municipalities from banning or arbitrarily restricting room rentals unless clear, reasonable standards are established by ordinance.

3. Encourage responsible use of existing bedrooms to:

a. increase affordable housing without new construction;
b. help homeowners with rising property taxes and living costs;
c. provide more affordable options for students, workers, seniors, and families;
d. make better use of existing homes and infrastructure; and
e. reduce unnecessary construction and the environmental costs associated with expanding housing.

4. One possible model is: Permitted rental rooms = legally approved bedrooms − number of bedrooms reserved for the owner. The exact number and safeguards should be determined through an open public process.

We are also asking Tewksbury Township to adopt a clear local ordinance.

Our recent experience has shown how uncertainty and hardship can arise when a municipality has no clear rule governing the number of rooms an owner-occupant may rent.

This is not about one homeowner or one lawsuit: N.J. town is demanding $220,000 from retiree who rents out rooms in his home - nj.com. 

If you support affordable housing, responsible use of existing homes, and transparent local government, please sign and share this petition.

Let's make New Jersey's housing laws reflect today's needs, tomorrow's prosperity—not yesterday's assumptions.