New Jersey Bill Would Let Home Buyers Remove Interior Listing Photos After Closing: What Central Jersey Buyers and Sellers Should Know

New Jersey Real Estate News & Homeowner Privacy

By Jasmine Tsui (徐佳美) · Weichert Realtors® · Central New Jersey · Updated October 15, 2026

A bill introduced in the New Jersey Assembly, A5422, would give home buyers a legal right to have interior listing photos removed from the MLS, brokerage websites, and social media after closing. It is a proposal, not law. Until it passes, removal is voluntary, but buyers can still ask, and most major home search sites let a verified owner hide the photos.

Search your own address. If you bought your home in the last several years, there is a good chance every room is still online: the primary bedroom, the kids’ rooms, the layout of the first floor, where the back door is. Those photos did their job when the house was for sale. After closing, they are a floor plan of your home that anyone can pull up. A New Jersey lawmaker now wants to give buyers a way to take them down, and it would change what happens at every closing table from Edison to East Brunswick.

What the Bill Says

Assembly Bill 5422 would let a buyer submit a state-issued form, within 30 days after the sale, requiring the seller’s agent to remove interior photos of the home from public and industry sites.According to HousingWire’s report on the bill, published September 25, 2026, the main provisions are:

• A standard form. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs would create an image removal request form within six months of the bill passing.
• The form comes to you. The listing agent would have to give the buyer the form no later than the closing date.
• A 30-day window to ask. The buyer could submit the signed form from the date of sale up to 30 days after.
• A 30-day window to comply. The seller’s agent or brokerage would then have 30 days to remove the photos from any multiple listing service, brokerage website, promotional social media account, or third-party marketing database.
• Penalties. A licensee who does not comply could be fined up to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for later ones, enforced by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission.
• For-sale-by-owner sales are included. An unrepresented seller would have the same duties, enforced by the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Where It Stands

The bill has been introduced. It has not passed, and its details could change before it does.It was introduced by Assemblyman William F. Moen Jr. If enacted as written, it would take effect immediately, with enforcement beginning 90 days after the state publishes the request form. A bill still has to move through committee, pass both houses, and be signed, and many bills never do. This article reflects what was reported when I prepared it in early October 2026. You can look up the current status of A5422 on the New Jersey Legislature website.

Today vs. Under the Bill

The practical change is that a favor would become a right, with a form, a deadline, and a penalty behind it.

Based on the bill as reported in September 2026. Provisions may change as it moves through the Legislature. Confirm the current text and status at njleg.gov.

One thing I expect to be discussed as the bill moves: appraisers and agents use photos of sold homes to compare properties when they estimate value. How the final rules treat MLS records will matter to them, so the details may shift.

What Buyers Can Do Right Now

You do not need to wait for a new law to reduce what is online about the inside of your home.

1. Ask before closing. Tell your agent you want the interior photos taken down after the sale, and have them pass the request to the listing agent in writing. A request made while everyone is still working on the deal gets more attention than one made months later.
2. Raise it with your attorney. During attorney review, ask whether it makes sense to add a line to the contract about photo removal after closing.
3. Claim your home on the big search sites. Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com each let a verified owner claim a property and hide or remove listing photos. The steps differ by site and change from time to time, so check each site’s current help page.
4. Search your address. Photos are often copied to smaller sites. Look at the image results for your address and contact any site still showing the interior.
5. Check the street view. Major map services let owners request that their house be blurred.

If you are still shopping, add this to your closing checklist. My First-Time Home Buyer Central Jersey Roadmap covers the other steps, and my guide to using AI tools safely in your home search has more on protecting your information.

What Sellers Should Know

Good photos still sell the house. The bill would only affect what happens to them after closing.Nothing in the proposal limits how a home is photographed or marketed while it is for sale. I explain why photography matters in Does Professional Photography Really Help Sell a Home?

Two practical points for sellers:

• The takedown would be your agent’s job. Under the bill, the listing agent provides the form at closing and handles removal if the buyer asks. A for-sale-by-owner seller would have to do both personally.
• Protect your own privacy while you are listed. Before the photographer arrives, put away family photos, mail, calendars, prescriptions, and valuables. Those details end up in pictures that thousands of people will see.

[Insert Image: before-and-after example of a room prepared for listing photos with personal items removed]

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the New Jersey listing photo removal bill a law yet?

No. Assembly Bill 5422 was introduced in 2026 and reported by HousingWire on September 25, 2026. It must pass both houses of the Legislature and be signed before it takes effect, and its terms could change. Check njleg.gov for the current status.

Can I remove photos of my Edison home from Zillow or Redfin right now?

In most cases, yes. The major home search sites let a verified owner claim the home and hide or remove listing photos. The steps vary by site and change over time, so follow each site’s current help instructions. Photos in the MLS itself are controlled by the listing office and the MLS.

Would the bill cover exterior photos too?

As reported, the bill applies to interior photos. Exterior images, and anything on sites that are not connected to the listing, would not be covered by the request form.

Does removing old listing photos affect my home’s value?

No. Taking old listing photos off public websites does not change what your home is worth. When you decide to sell, your agent will arrange new photos.

What would sellers in Middlesex County have to do under the bill?

If the seller has a listing agent, the agent would give the buyer the request form by closing and remove the photos within 30 days of a request. A seller without an agent would have to provide the form and handle removal personally.

Bought a home in Central Jersey and want the interior photos off the internet? Send me the address. I will check where the photos still appear and tell you who to contact for each one. If you are about to close, ask me to put the removal request to the listing office in writing before closing day. Call or text (201) 920-5825, in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese.

This article describes proposed legislation, New Jersey Assembly Bill 5422, as reported in September 2026. It is not law, and its provisions and status may have changed; confirm the current text at njleg.gov. Website features for hiding or removing photos are set by each company and change over time. This article is general educational information, not legal advice; consult a New Jersey attorney about your own situation. Jasmine Tsui, Weichert Realtors, 123 Lincoln Hwy, Edison, NJ 08820, (201) 920-5825. NJ real estate license #2075070. Equal Housing Opportunity.