Vacant Property
The Township of Montclair has a comprehensive ordinance and program dedicated to the management of vacant properties. Our goal is to ensure the safety and security of the community by enforcing local and state codes to make sure the properties are maintained.
Chapter 249 governs vacant properties, and provides the following definition of Vacant Property: Any building used or to be used as a residence which is not legally occupied or at which substantially all lawful construction operations or residential occupancy has ceased, and which is in such condition that it cannot legally be reoccupied without repair or rehabilitation; provided, however, that any property that contains all building systems in working order and is being actively marketed by its owner for sale or rental shall not be deemed vacant.
Registration of such buildings is required. The current Vacant Property Registration Form Vacant Property Registration(PDF, 222KB) should be filled out and returned to our office, along with the appropriate registration fee.
Registrations are valid for six (12) months, at which time they must be renewed.
Regular inspections will be performed on the property to check for maintenance issues and hazardous conditions. Upon finding any, the responsible party will be notified to correct the problem.
We welcome any questions regarding vacant properties, as this can be a confusing topic. Please contact our office for information about a property you are responsible for, or to provide notification about issues at a vacant property.
Useful Documents:
VACANT PROPERTY REGISTRATION FORM(PDF, 222KB)
VACANT PROPERTY FEE ABEYANCE REGISTRATION FORM(PDF, 197KB)
PROPERTY BOARD UP PROCEDURES(PDF, 226KB)