ROOMING AND BOARDING HOME COMPLIANCE OFFICER
In New Jersey, Rooming and Boarding Home Compliance Officer is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
The stated bar is a bachelor's degree, but candidates can swap in added experience for the diploma. The FY2026 range lands between $70,431 and $103,187, and state payroll currently lists 4 people in the title, most of them at Community Affairs.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Community Affairs posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 4 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $90,084. The agencies employing the most are:
- Community Affairs (4)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the direction of a supervisory officer, Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards, Bureau of Rooming and Boarding Home Standards, in accordance with - Rooming and Boarding Home Act of 1979' (N.J.S.A. 55:13B-1 et seq.) and - Regulations Governing Rooming and Boarding Houses' (N.J.A.C. 5:27 et seq.) is responsible for reviewing cases of continuing violations including those affecting safety, security, record keeping, living conditions and services; negotiates settlements and assesses appropriate penalties when voluntary compliance is not forthcoming; does related work as required.
Examples of work
Reviews each case of violation affecting safety, security, financial status and living conditions of boarding and rooming home residents, and assesses appropriate civil penalties Assists individuals who have outstanding violations develop appropriate abatement schedules and advises them on methods of abatement Makes final determinations in cases concerning amounts of fines to be levied and the length of time to be permitted for the correction of violations found by the Bureau subsequent to the initial order and makes recommendations to the Supervisor in cases concerning difficult situations Handles all correspondence and meetings involved with the enforcement of assigned cases Maintains a progress report for each case and ensure that all actions progress as swiftly as possible, both within and without the enforcement section Reviews applications for extensions of the time specified to abate violations to settle Bureau claims arising out of the assessment of civil penalties for the owner's failure to comply with previous orders Establishes and maintains necessary coordination with Bureau staff to ensure proper correlations between enforcement activity and actual field conditions Makes recommendations to Supervisor of Enforcement as to properties where an order should be issued directing the owner to prepare such reports and make such expenditures Reviews all files of violations for the procedural defects and coordinates with boarding home evaluators to make necessary additions and corrections. Performs necessary research on ownership of properties with violations including title searches, search of corporate records, etc When appropriate, negotiates settlement with boarding home operators on penalty assessment and abatement schedule Does related follow up after hearings or court proceedings including but not limited to collection of civil penalties, docketing of judgments, and ensuring that violations are abated Prepares all materials needed for administrative hearings and court actions and ensures necessary witnesses have been notified Testifies at administrative hearings and in court proceedings Obtains necessary affidavits and other materials necessary for administrative search warrants Acts as liaison with other agencies where a situation involves areas over which they have jurisdiction Where there are continuing violations or imminent hazard conditions, recommends enforcement remedy to Supervisor of Enforcement Prepares extensive correspondence in the course of official duties When necessary, requires owners/operators with outstanding violations to submit reports, audits and/or accountings May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the work and materials needed and the cost involved to correct building defects Knowledge of the availability and types of trades people needed to be hired to correct building defects Knowledge of the financial record discrepancies which are significant and the methods used in preventing, discovering and correcting errors Knowledge of the procedures used in evaluation of boarding and rooming homes Knowledge of the construction and maintenance practices, time requirement and work required to abate violations Knowledge of the procedures used in inspection of rooming and boarding homes and of the violations Knowledge of department rules and policies establishing compliance procedures for performing a title search Knowledge of the applicable laws concerning assessment and collection of administrative penalties Knowledge of the principles of proper food sanitation in kitchens and good handling practices Knowledge of the functions of various legal documents and public records relative to the real estate transactions such as deed, easements and contracts Knowledge of the Uniform Construction Code Act and Regulations and Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law and Regulations and their relations to the enforcement of standards for boarding homes Knowledge of Rooming and Boarding Home Act Ability to organize work, analyze problems and develop work methods Ability to review boarding home violation cases and determine appropriate administrative penalties Ability to interpret and apply construction and maintenance rules and regulations Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with owners, operators, boarders, architects, builders, local code enforcement personnel, municipal officials and other involved in the compliance of boarding homes Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate, and comprehensive narrative and/or statistical reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to prepare detailed correspondence in the course of official duties Ability to maintain records and files Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. CODE: P23 - MER 08/29/09
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Six (6) years of professional technical experience in construction estimating or in construction code or housing code enforcement. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and two (2) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.