Housing

• Inspection of all dwellings and commercial buildings for resale and rentals in accordance with Ewing Township ordinances and International Property Maintenance Code.
• Property maintenance inspection of all buildings within the township in the event of a written complaint[s].

Property Transfer

All dwellings or commercial buildings being offered for resale in Ewing Township must be inspected and approved by the Division of Housing.   All necessary forms can be found in the Paper Applications & Forms section in the right column.

Rentals

All rental residential dwellings must be registered with the Township by January 1 of every year – regardless of tenant change – in accordance with Ewing Township ordinance 10-07. The registration process begins with our Rental Registration and Rental Fire forms, AND completion of the Prescreen COVID-19 Questionnaire.

Note: All Rental Registrations and Rental Fire Prevention forms are due January 31 of every year.  All Landlords are required to have a Property Maintenance Inspection upon the change of any tenant.

Property/Tenant Transfer Inspection

CLICK HERE for a brief description of what the Inspector will look for, however it is not limited to just these items.

Changes to the Fire Code for Residential Rental and Resale Properties

Please be advised that important changes have been made recently to the NJ Uniform Fire Code that affect both residential rental properties and residential properties that are being resold.  These inspection changes help to reduce the fire risk to occupants that are typical to residential properties.

Smoke Alarms

Ten-year sealed battery-powered single station smoke alarms are now required for any residential property transfer.  Any residential rental property currently utilizing detectors that have replaceable batteries MUST BE REPLACED with the ten year sealed battery type. This includes combination detectors (smoke/carbon monoxide). You may not replace any A.C. powered single or multiple station smoke alarms with battery-powered smoke alarms.   A/C-powered smoke alarms shall be accepted as meeting all the requirements as of January 1^st, 2019.  See N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.19 for full explanation of the requirements. 

Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire extinguishers must be installed within 10 feet of the kitchen and located in the path of egress within full view and readily accessible.  They must be mounted so that the top is not more than 5 feet above the floor using the manufacturer's hanging bracket with the operating instructions clearly visible.  The owner’s manual must be provided during the inspection and left for the new occupant. 

The extinguisher shall be an approved listed and labeled type with a minimum rating of 2A-10B:C and no more than 10 pounds.  Please note that anything less than a 3 lb. extinguisher will NOT satisfy this requirement.   The extinguisher must also be serviced and tagged as operational by a certified Division of Fire Safety contractor within the past 12 months or the seller must have a receipt for a recently purchased extinguisher.  Again see N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.19 section (e) for the full explanation of the requirements.