Cape May County, New Jersey Short-Term Rental Rules 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental rules for 7 places in Cape May County, New Jersey. Each city and town sets its own rules, so select a place below for its permit, tax and other rules, or see all of New Jersey.

3 Active 4 Conditional

Cape May County at a glance

Places tracked
7 places: 3 active, 4 conditional
License or registration
Required in all 7 local places
Tax on stays
Applies in all 7 local places
County law
No county record yet; each place below has its own page.

Cape May County short-term rental questions

Are short-term rentals legal in Cape May County?

In all 7 places we track in Cape May County, short-term rentals are allowed, 4 of them with permit conditions or limits.

Do I need a license for a short-term rental in Cape May County?

All 7 local places we track in Cape May County require a license, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.

Cape May County Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Cape May County encompasses 7 tracked jurisdictions: 3 with active regulations, 4 where rentals are allowed with conditions. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

All 7 tracked jurisdictions in Cape May County require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 7 of 7 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

LawfulStay monitors Cape May County STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Cape May
Annual license + safety inspection required; historic district; 11.625% NJ state tax
Conditional
Ocean City
Annual mercantile license (rental registration) and $500,000 liability insurance required; 3% city fee on online-platform bookings adopted in 2025
Conditional
Wildwood
Every rental unit needs an annual Rental Housing Mercantile License (Rental Permit) from the City Clerk and must pass a city inspection before it is issued
Conditional
Wildwood Crest
Stricter than Wildwood: floor plan, fire inspection, Certificate of Zoning Use Compliance all required
Conditional
Avalon
Annual borough rental license and fire inspection for every rental, applied for online
Active
Sea Isle City
Municipal Mercantile Rental Permit required; fire safety inspection
Active
Stone Harbor
Annual borough rental license and registration with a seasonal fire inspection
Active