SOMERS POINT — Starting Dec. 31, short-term rentals will require a minimum of seven-day stays instead of the current three-day minimum.
Somers Point City Council decided that in a 4-3 vote June 12.
Councilman Sean McGuigan, who initiated the amendment, was joined in the majority by councilmen Mike Owen and Howard Dill and Council President Charlie Haberkorn. Councilmen Kirk Gerety and Richard DePamphilis and Councilwoman Janice Johnston were in the minority.
McGuigan’s feelings were well documented throughout the meeting, and he simply voted in the affirmative.
Owen, who mentioned supporting both three nights and seven nights, said he represents all 11,000 residents of the city and that those with whom he has spoken are all in favor of seven nights.
Dill offered to sit on a committee to research the topic, saying he owned rental properties when the rules were enacted in 2023 but no longer does, removing any conflict of interest.
“I am willing to work with the coalition in trying to come up with something that’s reasonable and acceptable to everyone,” Dill said.
Johnston, who was council president at the time the rules were first enacted, said the issue had been thoroughly researched and it was decided that three nights was the right balance.
“We already did the work two years ago, we formed a committee, heard the voices. I think we beat this issue to death then and I don’t see any reason to start all over again from square one when there really is no justification,” she said.
Gerety said he was trying to determine the objective of extending the stay.
“Is it to lessen the occupancy, which if we do that lessens our tourism, lessens our hotel taxes and all of that? If that’s what the objective is, that would be only the second time in 30 years that I’ve been involved here that we actually passed something that gave us less money,” he said.
Gerety said his family uses short-term rentals when they have a chance to visit their former hometown for a couple of days.
“A lot of people that I know that have Airbnbs bought them because they thought Somers Point was a cool place to buy a house. It’s a very expensive place to buy a house and it was a pathway for their retirement,” Gerety said.
He further said that since he rejoined City Council nine months ago, everything they have done has been discussed at length by committees.
“This is something that popped up. No facts, no background, no information, no list of complaints. How many complaints have we had and what are they? I think that it’s government overreach,” Gerety said.
DePamphilis, who was part of the committee two years ago that established the rules, voted no.
“We had meetings just like this and everything everybody said here tonight I’ve heard before,” he said.
Haberkorn broke the deadlock.
“In today’s busy lifestyle, residents in neighborhoods look to the sanctuary of their homes as a peaceful getaway and to their neighbors as a sense of socializing and community,” he said. “Short-term rental owners have a business model of renting their property to guests. The ordinance in front of us tonight that we’ve come up with I believe is a compromise. It allows the residents of a home to have the comfort of fewer rental periods by extending the stay. It allows the owners of short-term rental properties the opportunity to still have the business model of renting to guests.”
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff