PETERSBURG — Upper Township Committee has appointed an ad hoc subcommittee to investigate the pros and cons of short-term rentals and report back on its findings.
An ordinance introduced last spring met with a lot of opposition, and was tabled for more work. Township Committee put the brakes on the new rental housing regulations April 3 even before numerous speakers condemned the proposal as invasive, anti-landlord and unconstitutional.
“The goal here is not to enforce some blanket ban but to put some restrictions around it to provide protections for people in the community, and also you have to think about property values, those kinds of things,” Deputy Mayor Kim Hayes said Aug. 28. “There are plenty of areas where it does work. The Strathmere section of the township has thrived on short-term rentals for decades. There is a lot of room for it to occur, we just want guiding ordinances so it does not get out of control.”
Hayes and Committeeman Mark Pancoast will join with four members of the public — Michelle Drewnowski, Bruce Riordan, Joe Falls and Maria Busz — to discuss and investigate different aspects of the issue, such as parking, occupancy, maintenance and duration.
During the meeting, Bob DiLullo, who identified himself as “one of the few people in town with an Airbnb,” said he has heard a lot of negative comments about short-term rentals and wanted to point out some positives.
He said he bought his house in 2022 and it required a lot of renovations. After supplementing his income with a second job on weekends, he realized he needed more to fund the repairs. He said he then moved into his mother’s house and began renting his three-bedroom home through Airbnb.
DiLullo said not only does renting his home provide him with the income he needs to fix it up, but it also gives people who cannot afford to stay on the islands an opportunity to vacation at the shore.
Pointing out there is “no shortage of commercial rental space,” he said bringing more people to Upper Township would help bolster its business districts.
Hayes noted she and Mayor Jay Newman had discussed a letter DiLullo had sent them and extended an invitation to him to join the subcommittee.
“We want to make sure that everyone’s interests are being considered,” Hayes said.
Township Committee introduced the original ordinance to regulate rental housing, both long- and short-term, on March 14.
The regulations were intended to protect tenants by ensuring the properties are maintained in a safe condition and ensuring that maximum occupancy limits are maintained, and to protect the value of properties nearby by requiring maintenance.
The ordinance would have required the owner of every rental property in the township to register their property and provide access for annual inspections.
It stated Township Committee believes short-term rentals benefit the community by allowing owners to generate additional income, as well as providing tourists with an alternative option for accommodations.
It further stated that Township Committee believes the transitory use of residential property could have harmful effects if unregulated. The regulations are aimed at balancing the rights of owners of short-term rentals with the business community affected by the allowance.
Regulations are intended to provide a process for short-term rentals, protect the long-term housing market stock, protect the integrity of neighborhoods and ensure properties meet maintenance standards.
Short-term rentals, defined as accommodations for fewer than 31 days, would have been limited to the Waterfront Town Center, Marmora Town Center, Resort Residential and Resort Commercial zoning districts.
The regulations called for inspections annually and prior to every change of tenancy. They also would have allowed Township Committee to set fees to be paid to offset administrative expenses.
Furthermore, the regulations would have set standards for number of occupants based on square footage.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff