Brick Proposes Limits On Short-Term Rentals

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday night that would ban short-term rentals in much of the township, an effort to prevent issues such as ones seen this summer where homes were rented for massive house parties.

The ordinance, which is scheduled for a second reading and approval at the Nov. 10 council meeting, would ban rentals of less than 30 days year-round in most of the township. From May 15 through Sept. 15, they would be permitted in barrier island homes, with a seven-day minimum rental.

Legally operating motels, hotels, rooming houses, boarding houses and bed-and-breakfast inns are exempt from ordinance.

Party houses came to light during the summer, after a series of massive parties that drew hundreds — including a house party in the Baywood section of Brick that drew 400 people, jammed streets and took police several hours to clear out.

Days later, a house party at a Jackson home rented through Airbnb drew 700 people, and police from several towns including Brick assisted in clearing out the partygoers.

Both parties drew condemnation from Gov. Phil Murphy for ignoring social distancing guidelines and public gathering limits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Airbnb has a ban on "party houses" and its policies prohibit gatherings that violate public health mandates. In the wake of the incidents, it cracked down on such listings, removing 35 of them in New Jersey. In August, it expanded the crackdown worldwide.

"We strongly condemn the reported behavior, which represents both a clear violation of Airbnb's community policies and a particularly serious abuse during this public health crisis," company officials said after the Jackson party.

Brick officials want to make sure it's never an issue in the future.

The ordinance would bar room rentals unless a rental certificate of occupancy has been issued by the township. A house must have at least two bedrooms and enough parking to accommodate a tenant.

It also bans the rental of any of amenities at a home, such as swimming pools.

Violations of the ordinance would be subject to fines of up to $2,000 per day and up to 90 days in jail.

"This article aims to curtail, and in certain circumstances prohibit, the increasingly widespread practice of renting or leasing various types of dwellings, or segments thereof, located primarily in residential neighborhoods, on a short-term basis to transient guests," the proposed ordinance reads. "This practice has been popularized and facilitated by various websites that advertise and broker these rentals. Left unregulated, this practice will transform many residential dwellings into a detriment to the health safety and quiet enjoyment of the affected neighborhoods."

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