ARTICLE: Daily Rental Properties Are Not Good For Garwood
By Jen Blumenstock | Published in Clark-Garwood Patch, August 31, 2022
While the world changes and Garwood evolves with it, one of my core priorities on Council has always been to ensure our Borough retains its quant and small-town feel. We pride ourselves on being the Small Town With a Big Heart, where neighbors know each other, help one another, and look out for one another. So when I became aware of a few properties in Garwood that were listed, and then subsequently occupied through short-term rental sites like AirBnB and VRBO, I knew that this was an issue that needed to be investigated and addressed before the practice became pervasive.
A few key things I learned from my research included that certain owners were not even Garwood residents and were often utilizing these properties exclusively for these short-term rental purposes. I also learned the properties were often being rented for a few days at a time and that these uses were not exclusive to lodging, but also for business purposes such as filming. Lastly, I identified that certain listings were advertising bedroom counts in excess of what they actually have - a potential fire safety hazard not only to the occupants but our first responders in a potential emergency.
At last Thursday's Council meeting, I voiced my strong views against these type of short-term rentals, which is juxtaposed to my Mayoral opponent, who has previously stated that these short-term rentals are a good thing for Garwood. However, I believe our residents moved to Garwood with the expectation that their neighbors, whether renters or homeowners, have come to Garwood to become a part of the community as well.
If more and more short-term rentals arise, the burden on our Police Department would surely increase. General parking issues, snow parking citations, noise violations and other safety issues have been documented in other small towns and cities across the nation, which puts additional strain on our small police force. There are likely to be additional demands for our Property Maintenance, Parking Enforcement and Department of Public Works, which are not staffed up to handle the disproportionate impacts that may result of transient occupants.
Most important to me as a parent, this issue brings safety into question. Having a revolving door of strangers passing in and out on a daily or weekly basis in the house next-door to mine simply doesn’t sit well with me. I would certainly think twice about letting my kids ride their bikes down the street or play in the driveway. It also doesn’t sit well with the many seniors that I have spoken to who voiced that they would feel uncomfortable not knowing who is going in and out of neighboring homes. The Garwood seniors I know, pride themselves on knowing their neighbors, having close relationships with them, and being able to reach out to them in time of need. These types of short-term rentals turn homes into commercialized motels and strip this comfort away.
The ordinance proposed at the August 25th Council meeting will still allow short-term rentals longer than 30 days. It would only regulate daily or weekly type rentals. While my Mayoral opponent has said she feels you have the right to do as you please with your property, then I would question whether she believes we should even have property maintenance or zoning laws altogether – laws that ensure our properties are safe, aesthetically pleasing, and offer the community-feel of a residential neighborhood. The choice to live in a residential zone as opposed to a business-zoned district should not be eliminated.
We are a tight-knit community, and I fear that short-term rentals like these could severely impact that. As Garwood moves into the future, I want to do what we can to preserve that Small Town with a Big Heart. You have my unequivocal commitment.
Jen Blumenstock
Garwood Council President
Garwood Mayoral Candidate
https://patch.com/new-jersey/clark/daily-rental-properties-are-not-good-garwood-nodx