A Borough of Renters
Caldwell is tiny on a map, about 1.2 square miles, but dense, with more than 7,600 people per square mile in 2020 and an estimated 9,375 residents by mid-2025. Its most striking number is ownership: only about 42% of Caldwell's homes are lived in by their owners, so the majority of households rent. That sets it apart from West Caldwell next door, where about 86% of homes are owner-occupied, and it means a Caldwell sale can easily involve a building with tenants, a condo that has been rented out, or a two-family where the owner has moved away.
- 9,375estimated residents, July 2025 (9,027 counted in 2020)
- 41.9%owner-occupied housing rate (ACS 2020–2024)
- $575,400median value of homes their owners live in (ACS 2020–2024)
- $1,976median gross rent (ACS 2020–2024)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Caldwell borough, New Jersey.
The Certificate of Continued Occupancy
Caldwell's Construction Department issues a certificate of occupancy, which the borough calls a certificate of continued occupancy (CCO), when property changes hands. The application identifies the current owner and the prospective owner, whether the whole building or a single unit is being inspected, and whether the property will be a personal residence, a rental or a commercial space. The terms printed on the borough's form are short and firm:
- The application must be submitted at least ten days before closing.
- All open permits must be closed before a certificate of approval is issued.
- The fee is $100 per unit, so a two-family costs $200 and a building with more units costs more.
- No certificate is released until the payment has cleared.
The ten-day minimum is the detail that trips up sellers working toward a fixed date, because a failed inspection or an old open permit can push the closing back. Separately, state fire rules require a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm certificate each time a Caldwell one- or two-family home sells, and a town inspection can stand in for it; the Construction Department's fire inspector works Wednesday mornings. Ask the office (973-403-4626) which inspection covers the alarms for your property type.
When we buy, we file the CCO application as soon as the contract is signed, settle the permit history and take responsibility for any repairs the inspector lists. The fee appears in the written offer.
Licenses for Rental Units
Caldwell requires landlords to hold a license to rent. The application lists every unit, its rent and any recent increase, and costs $30 per unit, counting a superintendent's apartment but not an apartment the owner lives in. Since Ordinance 1443-23, landlords must also file a certificate of insurance with the borough, with a $25 filing fee; an owner-occupied two-family pays no license fee but still has to file the insurance. The borough's forms page also carries a landlord registration form and a separate certificate of occupancy upon vacancy, used when a rental unit turns over.
For a landlord ready to sell, none of this has to be in order before you reach out. Tenants can remain when we buy a Caldwell rental; their leases continue, and their security deposits and accrued interest come to us at closing. New Jersey law does not let a sale end a tenancy, and we do not ask sellers to empty units. If licenses lapsed or insurance was never filed, we sort that out after we own the building. Our guide to selling a rental property explains more.
Taxes, Water and Sewer
One collector handles taxes and utilities in Caldwell: the Tax/Utility Collector can be reached at 973-226-6347. Quarterly tax payments fall on Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1, as in every New Jersey town. In 2025 Caldwell's general tax rate was 3.257 per $100 of assessed value and its effective rate 2.254. The borough posts its tax sale list on its website each year; if your property is on it or a certificate has already been sold, the lien is redeemed out of the sale price at closing.
Caldwell's drinking water comes from artesian wells in neighboring Essex Fells, and residential water accounts are billed quarterly. The borough is also carrying out service line investigations and may ask to look at the line where it meets the meter. Sewage is handled by the Caldwell Sewer Board, which serves Caldwell together with West Caldwell, Roseland, Fairfield and Essex Fells. Before closing, the title company will want a final water and sewer bill, which is paid from the proceeds.
Behind on the Mortgage
Foreclosures in Caldwell are handled in the state's Superior Court and end in an Essex County sheriff's sale in Newark. Until that sale takes place, you can still sell. An owner-occupant who signs with us while in foreclosure has ten business days to cancel the contract under New Jersey's foreclosure rescue law, so we build that period into the schedule and close after it. If your sale date is already set, read our New Jersey foreclosure page and call soon.
Who Does What on a Caldwell Sale
| Item | Borough or county office | Our role |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of continued occupancy | Construction Department | Application filed early; corrections are ours. |
| Rental license and insurance filing | Borough forms and licensing | Brought current after we take title. |
| Taxes and any tax sale lien | Tax/Utility Collector | Paid off through title at settlement. |
| Final water and sewer bill | Tax/Utility Collector | Requested before the closing date. |
| Estate authority | Essex County Surrogate, 973-621-4901 | We can sign early and wait for letters. |
Caldwell sits in the western part of Essex County, bordering West Caldwell and Essex Fells. An executor handling a Caldwell house can also read our inherited house guide.
Essex-Newark Legal Services (973-624-4500) offers free civil legal help to eligible tenants and owners in the county. Housing counselors approved by HUD are listed at hud.gov/findacounselor, and older residents can call the Essex County ADRC at 973-395-8375.