Somers Point has proposed extending minimum stay from three to seven nights
SOMERS POINT — A number of short-term rental owners have formed a coalition in opposition to City Council’s proposal to extend the minimum length of a stay from three to seven nights.
City Council voted 5-2 on May 22 to introduce Ordinance 13, which would lengthen the minimum stay. A public hearing and final vote are scheduled for the next meeting, set for 7 p.m. June 12 at City Hall.
Nick Hresko-Staab, who contacted the Sentinel on behalf of the 18-member Somers Point Hosts and Residents Coalition, said the change would hurt the owners, many of whom have booked multiple dates for the upcoming summer, as well as business owners and the city through loss of revenue.
He said three weeks between introduction and a final vote is too short a time to consider such a drastic change. The amendment would go into effect in 30 days.
“If adopted, the amendment would all but eliminate the viability of operating a short-term rental, and the fact that this amendment was proposed without specific reasoning, appropriate time for consideration or supporting research is an alarming failure of the council’s duty to Somers Point citizens,” Hresko-Staab said. “It would have a dramatic and negative impact on existing homeowners who rely on rental income, who have paid for and adhered to the operating guidelines and invested their savings to purchase homes in Somers Point based on the underlying rules set forth by the council two years ago.”
He said based on a survey of a portion of the group, only about 3 percent of bookings from the last year were for seven nights or more, “meaning that if this amendment was adopted, bookings would plummet by 97 percent.”
Hresko-Staab said the amendment directly contradicts the findings of a formal review commissioned by City Council in 2023 that determined a three-night minimum is the optimal balance for the local economy and community.
He said members of the group have spoken to multiple council members “and they seem unreceptive to what we are presenting to them, unwilling to hear what we are saying to them.”
City Councilman Sean McGuigan, who proposed the change, contends that a seven-night minimum would benefit the rental businesses. However, he has been adamantly against the practice from the very beginning.
The group is hoping for a delay and a chance to provide input on the issue.
“Somers Point Hosts and Residents Coalition seeks to work collaboratively with the Somers Point Council on short-term rental policies that benefit citizens, local business owners and short-term rental operators. We urge the council to postpone the upcoming June 12, 2025 vote on its proposed amendment to the short-term rental policy in an effort to find a mutually agreeable resolution,” the group said in a statement.
They had a meeting scheduled with City Council President Charlie Haberkorn for Tuesday, after the Sentinel went to press.
Family owner, not
venture capitalists
Hresko-Staab, a 2011 graduate of Mainland Regional High School who grew up in Linwood, said operating the home as a short-term rental was the only way that he and his family could get a place to spend a few weeks each summer at the shore near their relatives. They depend on the income to pay the mortgage, and saw it as an opportunity to “stay connected to the place I was raised.”
He said they already have 10 bookings for summer, seven of which are families, adding that they actively deny young folks looking to party.
“No one wants that in their house,” he said.
Hresko-Staab said he features local art in his home and encourages guests to visit local establishments.
“We want it to be a destination,” he said. “A home for us and a home for other people. We are making this a house for families.”
He also said short-term rentals introduce people to the city who may otherwise never have visited.
“Importantly, many short-term rental owners are families themselves and cater to families with children and support the idea and future of Somers Point as a family destination, not a stopover town, and, without their existence, local businesses and community engagement would suffer,” he said.
Coalition member Joe Brozzetti, a resident of Camden County who purchased his home on the east side of Shore Road in November, said his intention is to move to Somers Point permanently and he and his wife saw the opportunity to buy a home and make rental income while fixing it up in the meantime.
He said he did a lot of research into the financial side of the business before making his purchase, counting on the rules in place to stay the same.
He said the vast majority of bookings in Somers Point are for fewer than seven nights.
“I have tons of evidence that reflect that this change is elimination, not regulation,” Brozzetti said.
He said the change makes no sense for the city, which collects 3 percent of all income through an occupancy tax. He said based on $280 per day, six days a week at 50 percent occupancy, the city collects about $50,000 in occupancy tax.
In addition, he said, each visitor spends about $200 per day in local restaurants and retail stores, accounting for another $150,000 in spending.
“Our businesses put money back into the town. That’s a wheel that you are breaking, part of the machine,” he said.
Brozzetti also noted that the change is in direct contradiction to the recently completed Master Plan re-examination conducted by planner Jim Rutala.
He said the document characterizes the city as a prime destination spot for tourism, seasonal, second-home and investment ownership.
“I don’t see how any of this makes sense for the town financially,” he said.
Brozzetti said he and his family would spend $5,000 each year to vacation in Ocean City. Now they spend that money on their home and at mainland businesses.
Rob Hopkins, chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Commission, also opposes the amendment. EDAC voted last week to recommend against it.
“As a full-time resident of Somers Point for the past 12 years, I find the timing and reasoning behind Ordinance 13-2025 deeply concerning,” he said. “For years, the city has proudly promoted itself as ‘open for business,’ rolling out the red carpet for developers from here to New York. That’s why it’s confusing — and frankly disappointing — that at the start of our busiest tourism season, City Council is considering an ordinance that could severely impact our local economy.”
Hopkins said City Council claims to care about preserving Somers Point for full-time residents but its actions speak louder than words.
“Just look at the recent removal of hundreds of trees behind our recreation area — a space home to endangered bird species. In doing so, the city also eliminated the only safe walkway connecting a nearby apartment complex to the Youth Center and bike path — a vital route for neighborhood kids walking to school. All of this was cleared to make room for 10 commercial rental units that, ironically, will be available for short-term leases,” he said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
