NEW LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL BUSINESSES

The owner of a business in Leonia shall annually provide to the Borough a certificate of insurance that maintains liability insurance in an amount of no less than $500,000 for combined property damage and bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident or occurrence.

A valid certificate of insurance must be submitted with the Clerk's Office annually.

The fee(s) can be found in the new Leonia Business Insurance Registration Ordinance.  You can file your Certificate of Insurance using the online forms below.

NJ BUSINESS INSURANCE LAW

NEW VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: 

Bergen County has new voting machines and a new voting process. For more information on how to vote in the upcoming election with these machines, please visit the Bergen County website through the links provided below.

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS VIDEO (IN ENGLISH, KOREAN, AND SPANISH):

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE VISION IMPAIRED:

https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/superintendent-of-elections-temp/voting-instructions-for-vision-impaired

2025 Election Dates:

Primary Election:  June 10, 2025

General Election / School Board Election: November 4, 2025

Polls are open from 6:00am until 8:00pm

Leonia's only voting location is the Leonia Recreation Center, 370 Broad Avenue, Leonia, NJ 07605

Register to Vote:

Last day to register to vote or to transfer registration for the 2025  June Primary Election is May 20, 2025

Last day to register to vote or to transfer registration for the 2025 November General Election is October 14, 2025

Anyone wishing to register to vote MUST:

• Be a citizen of the United States
• At least 17 years old, though you may not vote until you have reached the age of 18
• Have resided in the county at least 30 days before the election
• Register at least 29 days prior to the election

You must re-register if:

• You move from one county to another
• You have a name change due to marriage, divorce or Judgement of the Court
• Any change of address

You may register to vote online through the link down below:

Register to Vote Online

Voter Registration Forms are also available below:

Voter Registration Form - English

Voter Registration Form - Español

Voter Registration Form - Korean

 Change of Party Affiliation Forms are also available below:

Change of Party Affiliation - English

Change of Party Affiliation - Español

Change of Party Affiliation - Korean

Vote by Mail:

Registered voters can apply to vote by mail. Just click on the link for the State's Division of Elections website and download the correct County application:

Bergen County residents should mail their application to:

John S. Hogan
Bergen County Clerk
One Bergen County Plaza, Room 130
Hackensack, New Jersey 07601

Voter Registration Applications 

Voter registration applications can be downloaded below (in English or Korean), and are available from the Borough Clerk's office, located inside Borough Hall at 312 Broad Avenue, during normal business hours. 

Forms may be submitted in person, or mailed to the following address.

ATTN: Borough Clerk
312 Broad Avenue
Leonia, NJ 07605

For additional information, absentee ballet applications, or voter registration forms in alternate languages, please visit www.NJElections.org. 

All garage sales and estate sales require a permit.

Applications for garage sales are $10 and can be filled out using either the PDF Form or the Online Form below.

Applications for an estate sale are $50 and can be filled out using the same forms.  An estate sale is any sale in which you grant access to your home as part of the sale.

No residence can have more than two sales in a single calendar year.

For more information see Borough of Leonia Code Chapter 147 Garage Sales.

NEW LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL RENTAL PROPERTIES

The owner of a rental unit or multi-family home which is four or fewer units, one of which is owner-occupied, shall annually provide to the Borough a certificate of insurance that maintains liability insurance in an amount of no less than $300,000 for combined property damage and bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident or occurrence.

Otherwise, the owner of a rental unit or multi-family home shall annually provide to the Borough a certificate of insurance that maintains liability insurance in an amount of no less than $500,000 for combined property damage and bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident or occurrence.

A valid certificate of insurance must be submitted at the time of submitting a landlord registration or renewal, or seeking a rental inspection for a change of tenancy.

The fee(s) can be found in the new Leonia Business Insurance Registration Ordinance.  You can file your Certificate of Insurance using the online forms below.

NJ LANDLORD INSURANCE LAW

If you own a one or two family home in Leonia and would like to rent the home to someone, you are required by State Law register with the Borough Clerk's Office.  The form can be found below and must be submitted through Fire Prevention with the Building Department and filed with the Borough Clerk's office.

After filing the form, you are required to complete a Certificate of Continued Occupancy for Rental with the Building Department.  Once approved, file the CCO with the Clerk's office to finalize your Landlord Registration.

Each time a rental property changes ownership, either through sale or rental to a new tenant, or a unit (or units) has a change in Rent, a completed Landlord Identity Registration Form, should be filed with the Borough Clerk’s Office at 312 Broad Ave (201-592-5780, x 256), and provided to the new tenant.   In addition, a new Certificate of Continue Occupancy for Rental must be filed.

All Landscapers must be registered with the Borough of Leonia and comply with Borough Noise Ordinance 2023-02. 

 The application may be found below.

Landscaper Registration Application

Submit an Open Public Records Act request online. 

Please be aware there may be fees associated with your request before you receive the documents requested. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Borough Clerk by calling 201-592-5780 ext. 256

Other ways you may be able to find information:

• If you need information regarding any Ordinances or to find municipal code sections you may access them online. View Borough Code Book.
• View agendas, minutes, resolutions, and videos of Mayor and Council meetings online
• View Annual Audits, Budgets, & Financial Reports Page

The Code of the Borough of Leonia contains a chapter on Rent Control for the town.

Chapter 220 Rent Control

§ 220-2 Rental increase.

 A.  Permissible rental increase. The establishment of rents between a landlord and a tenant to whom this chapter is applicable shall hereafter be determined by the following provisions:

1. Frequency. No landlord shall request or receive any increase in rental payments from any tenant more often than once in any period of 12 consecutive months.
2. Calculation of rent increases.
   [Amended 12-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-19]
   (a) At the expiration of a lease or at the expiration of a periodic tenancy, no landlord of any dwelling may request or receive a percentage increase in rent which is greater than 5% or the percentage difference between the Consumer Price Index three months prior to the expiration or termination of the lease and three months prior to the commencement of the lease, whichever is less. In no event shall the increase be less than 3%.
   (b) The percentage increase in rent set forth in § 220-2A(2)(a) shall be applied to any garages or parking spaces that is not included in the lease for the dwelling.
3. Maximum rent increase. In no event shall any rent increase exceed 5% of the previous base rent in any twelve-month period.
4. Minimum rent increase. In no event shall any rent increase be less than 3% of the previous base rent in any twelve-month period.

B. Excessive or unauthorized rental increases. Any rental increase other than the appropriate allowable increase in accordance with § 220-2 herein shall be null and void and constitute a violation of this chapter subject to the enforcement provisions of § 220-8.

C. Notification of rental increase.

1. Any landlord seeking an increase in rent shall notify the tenant in accordance with § 220-6. Said notice shall include a copy of calculations involved in computing the increase, including the monthly base rental amount, percentage increase and the allowable rent increase amount. This notification shall be given not less than 30 days prior to the effective date of such rental increase.

D. Standards of service. During the term of a lease, a landlord shall maintain the same standards of service, maintenance, furnishings, appliances, fixtures and equipment in the housing space or dwelling as provided by law or in the lease as exists on the date the lease was entered into.
[Added 12-5-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-19]

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
The consumer price index (all items, base year 1982-1984 = 100) for the region of the United States, of which Leonia is part, published periodically by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC) is the state agency that regulates and oversees the conduct of raffles in New Jersey. In order that we may process your application to hold a raffle drawing within the Borough of Leonia as quickly as possible, please follow the directions below. Remember: An application that is incomplete upon submission cannot be processed until corrected.

1. Your organization must be registered with LGCCC prior to the submission of a raffle application to the Borough Clerk of the municipality where the raffle drawing will be held. The LGCCC registration form and instructions are available to be downloaded.

Each time you submit a raffle application, you must bring in the registration card issued by the LGCCC; the card confirms the identification number and organization name under which you are registered with the commission, and has both an effective date and expiration date. No application will be considered without proof of registration as required. If your application is submitted without the Registration Card, your application is considered incomplete.

2. Complete four (4) copies of the Raffle Application for each raffle event you are planning. All must be originals with notarized original signatures. Your application must be signed by an Officer of your Organization, and two or more Members in Charge of the Raffle. The exact ages of the organization’s Officers and the Members in Charge must be included for the required background checks. If your application is submitted without notarized signatures, your application is considered incomplete.

3. If you are conducting any type of Off-Premise Raffle (i.e.; tickets will be printed and sold prior to the drawing date in locations other than the drawing site), you must submit 2 sample ticket forms for either the Off-Premise Merchandise Raffle or the Off-Premise 50/50 Raffle at the time you submit your application. The information required to be printed on the form is outlined on the sample tickets. If the type of raffle requires submission of a sample ticket and you submit your application without it, your application is considered incomplete.

4. Fees: Set by the state and due at the time your application is submitted. Fees are charged in accordance with the type of raffles license requested and prizes awarded. Two (2) checks may be required; one made out to the Borough of Leonia and one to Legalized Games of Chance. Call the Office of the Borough Clerk at 201-592-5780 Monday through Friday (holidays excluded) between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm for the appropriate fees.

5. Application Deadline: You must submit your complete raffle application ten (10) days prior to a regularly scheduled public meeting of the mayor and council. Your application is approved via resolution of the governing body and then forwarded to the LGCCC for their review and approval. Following approval by them, your license will be issued fourteen (14 days) after the filing of your application with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission. This is the law. At the time you submit your application, please indicate whether you wish the License mailed to the Member in Charge, or if the License will be picked up at the Office of the Borough Clerk.

6. Raffle License Issued: Your License package will contain the License to conduct the raffle event (and it must be posted at the event), a Printer’s Certificate if you held an Off-Premise Raffle for which tickets were printed, and a Report of Operations form that must be filed with LGCCC (with copy to the Borough Clerk) immediately following your event. Failure to file the Report of Operations will preclude you from obtaining a Raffle License for a future event.