Planning Board

The City of Salem DOES NOT require a Certificate of Occupancy (“C/O”) be obtained prior to the transfer of title to real property.
However, a new owner will NOT be permitted to occupy, or allow  or suffer the property to be occupied UNTIL a valid inspection is performed and a valid C/O is obtained. There is no legal requirement that the Buyer acknowledge this legality in advance. However, as a Seller, it would be in your best interest to notify the BUYER as to the existence of this information.

If the Salem City Housing Office determines that a property is being occupied WITHOUT a current and valid C/O, a complaint will be filed in municipal court against the CURRENT owner of the property.  Please feel free to contact the housing office if you have any questions or need any further information.

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-23 and City Code Section 130-6, the Planning Board shall consist of 9 members, divided into four “classes” of membership as follows: Class I – the Mayor or his designee in the absence of the Mayor the term of this member shall correspond to the Mayor’s term of office with the term being one year or the expiration of term of office; Class II – a member appointed by the Mayor who is “one of the officials of the City” with the term being one year or the expiration of term of office; Class III – a member of the City Council to be appointed by the City Council with the term being one year or the expiration of term of office; and Class IV – shall be 6 residents of the City appointed by the Mayor, who hold no City Office or employment except that one Class IV member may be a member of the Board of Education; and one Class IV member shall be a member of the Environmental Commission.  The term of the Class IV members shall be 4 years with initial appointments designed to create staggered terms among the Class IV members. There may be up to 4 “Alternate” members of the Planning Board appointed by the Mayor for terms not in excess of two years.