Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Leonia, New Jersey

Borough of Leonia’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Changes of use inside Leonia borough.

  • After a change of use, a zoning permit is required.
  • No certificate of occupancy may be issued without the required zoning permit.

  “After a change of use has been made on a lot or in a building or structure, a zoning permit shall be required and no certificate of occupancy shall be issued without the required zoning permit.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Leonia borough.

  • Chapter 290 is the Borough's zoning chapter.

  “HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Leonia 1-16-1979 by Ord. No. 843 (Ch. 200 of the 1982 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Leonia borough.

  • The zoning map and schedule of requirements are declared part of the zoning chapter; the map and schedule are on file in the Clerk's office.

  “For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough of Leonia is hereby divided into twelve (12) zone districts, known as:”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Parking or dwelling use of trailers or camp cars on streets or premises inside Leonia borough.

  • Repair or storage is excepted.
  • A trailer or camp car undergoing repair or storage may not be used as a dwelling during that period.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to park any trailer or camp car on any street in the Borough of Leonia or on any premises within the limits of the Borough except for the purpose of repair or storage. Any such trailer or camp car undergoing repairs or being stored shall not during such period of repairs or storage be used by any person as a dwelling.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Leonia

Borough of Leonia does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in Leonia Districts A-1 through A-4.

  • The required area varies by district and by one-story or two-story design.

  A-1 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1500 square feet · A-1 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 2000 square feet · A-2 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1250 square feet · A-2 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 1800 square feet · A-3 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1100 square feet · A-3 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 1600 square feet · A-4 one-story minimum living floor area: >= 1500 square feet · A-4 two-story minimum living floor area: >= 2000 square feet

  “Minimum living floor area. Every single-family dwelling shall have a minimum living floor area in accordance with the following schedule:”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in Districts A-1 through A-4.

  • Front setback is generally at least 25 feet where no building line exists, subject to the mean setback rule and a 50-foot maximum required setback.
  • Rear yard is at least 25 feet.
  • Side yards vary by district.

  minimum rear yard: >= 25 feet (Through lots use the front-yard requirement on each street.) · minimum front yard where no building line exists: >= 25 feet (Mean setback and 50-foot maximum-required-setback rules apply.)

  “There shall be a rear yard of not less than 25 feet. A building on a lot extended through from street to street shall, in lieu of a rear yard, conform to the front yard requirement on each street.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in Leonia Districts A-1 through A-4.

  • The rule limits both stories and total height.

  maximum principal-building height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2 stories plus attic

  “Height. No principal building shall exceed a height of two stories and attic nor more than 35 feet.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Transient occupancy in single-family detached dwellings in Leonia Districts A.

  • The source provision applies to Districts A and states that a single-family detached dwelling is for residence by not more than one family.
  • The source excludes accommodations used in whole or in part for transient occupancy.

  “Single-family, detached dwelling, used as a residence by not more than one family and not to exceed one such dwelling unit on each lot. Further, this use shall not be deemed to include any accommodation used, in whole or in part, for transient occupancy.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Leonia or Bergen County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Leonia borough.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Leonia borough.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Leonia borough.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Leonia borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Leonia borough.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Leonia means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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