Belleville Town Council Considers Short-Term Rental Ordinance

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville Town Council gathered for their sole July meeting on Tuesday, discussing a potential local law involving “short-term rental properties.”

Township attorney Steven Martino asked the council for some guidance as he prepares to draft the ordinance at their request, which would regulate short-term rental properties such as Airbnbs. Martino said the topic – and a potential ordinance – has been broached before at recent council meetings.

Martino said that administrators have been taking a look at other nearby towns with similar ordinances, some of which don’t allow single-family properties to rent with Airbnb. Others require the property to be owner-occupied, he said.

More potential options include banning one-day stays and limiting the maximum rental days per year, Martino said.

“It’s not my decision to make,” he told the council, asking for some direction before he puts together the draft ordinance, which could potentially be introduced on first reading in August.

The council and Mayor Michael Melham then embarked on a discussion about the potential ordinance – as well as how it would be enforced.

See the meeting agenda here. Watch the full meeting video here. Watch footage involving the short-term rental ordinance below (video is cued to the discussion).

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