Westfield Introduces Revisions To Airbnb, Short-Term Rentals

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield Mayor and Council unanimously voted to introduce an ordinance to create a new section regulating and establishing certain requirements for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, in the town during its Tuesday night meeting.

"This ordinance is meant to address resident complaints regarding noise and parking from short-term renters that they have experienced," Mayor Shelley Brindle said at the meeting.

Specifically, there have been a few instances reported over the years where neighbors have complained about short-term renters coming and going in a residential neighborhood, often at odd hours, taking up parking, making loud noise and more.

Currently in Westfield there is no a law that regulates or prohibits boarders or short-term renters in any way.

"Meaning there is nothing that prevent a homeowner from renting out rooms on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis.," Brindle said.

The revised ordinance is aimed at curbing the abuse of short-term rentals and to give police and zoning officials the tools they need to ensure compliance.

"This ordinance is not intended to ban all short-term rentals as many Westfield residents are supplementing their income without any disruption to neighbors," Brindle said.

Many have utilized the short-term rentals locally for home renovation projects or most recently the golf PGA tour held nearby.

"We want to make sure to curb short-term rental abuse but not kill the practice completely," Brindle said.

Here are some of the rules listed in the ordinance:

• The person offering a dwelling unit for short-term rental use must be the owner or lessee of the residence.
• No person offering a dwelling unit for short-term rental use shall be required to obtain any license for such use unless such person offers more than five separate dwelling units for short-term rental use in the Town.
• There shall be no sign identifying the short-term rental use, and there shall be no identification of such short-term rental use upon any mailbox.
• The short-term rental use shall be conducted in a manner that does not materially disrupt or adversely affect the residential character of the neighborhood.
• No equipment or process shall be used in such short-term rental which creates glare, fumes, odors, or other nuisance factors detectable to the human senses outside the lot on which the short-term rental is conducted.
• Short-term rentals shall be limited to a maximum of 60 days per year, except in the Central Business District.
• Up to two bedrooms may be rented to guests. Occupancy shall be limited to two guests per bedroom or four total guests, whichever is less.
• Only one party of guests shall be permitted per short-term rental unit.
• For all short-term rentals, there shall be an in-town property manager available at all times if the owner or operator is out of town during the time of rental.
• Use of the short-term rentals for commercial or social events shall be prohibited.
• No short-term rental shall be for a period of more than 30 days, except in the Central Business District Zone.
• No short-term rental shall be permitted in any condominium or townhome, where the condominium association by-laws or master deed, or condominium rules and regulations, do not permit such short-term rental of condominium units in the development.
• In no event shall a short-term rental property be rented to anyone younger than 21 years of age.
• Any violation of this section may subject a violator to any remedy, legal or equitable, available to the Town. Remedies may specifically include revocation of the short-term rental privilege as permitted under this ordinance.

The ordinance will go before a second reading to be finalized at the June 19 council meeting at 8 p.m.

Westfield also posted a FAQ section addressing the new ordinance which can be accessed by clicking here.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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