By Stephen Appezzato
FAIR HAVEN – The door on short-term rentals in Fair Haven has now been closed and locked; the borough council banned rental terms shorter than 95 days in all residential districts at its July 24 meeting.
According to council member Tracy Cole, short-term rentals have become an issue for many residents in the borough who have voiced their concerns through emails and phone calls.
“The overwhelming majority of our community is vastly in approval of this ordinance,” said Mayor Josh Halpern.
But, as resident Gerrin Presti asked, “What are the facts that are driving this decision?”
On the night of the council’s vote there were just five rentals listed in Fair Haven on Airbnb, one of the leading short-term rental web sites. Presti owns one of them, a cottage, which he said he has rented to visitors for years.
“The fact of the matter is, in five years we’ve never had a situation with short-term renters,” Presti said, noting that the singular issue he’s had pertained to a long-term rental.
Presti explained that the majority of his guests are people returning to the area to visit relatives. Renting his cottage costs returning locals far less than a conventional hotel stay and is a “service” to Fair Haven and Rumson, he said. “We’re saving them (renters) a ton of money.”
Kevin Barnett, another Airbnb host and borough resident, noted that his guests are not young partygoers; he hosts “Princeton professors to RFH Class of 65’ people,” most usually older than 60, he said.
Another Fair Haven resident, Katy Frissora, explained that she has rented Airbnbs in the borough around the holidays when family members flock to the town to visit, describing the convenient offerings as “terrific.” Frissora said she was “shocked” that short-term rentals in Fair Haven had a reputation for parties as their high price tags make them difficult for younger visitors – those associated with partying – to afford.
Frissora has served on the borough’s first aid squad for many years, responding to medical emergencies that have arisen from partying. “As a member of the first aid squad, I will tell you the variables that lead to drug use and alcohol (use), and it is not short-term rentals,” she said.
Originally the ordinance prohibited rentals of less than 125 days, however, the length was shortened to 95 days to make it less restrictive for residents. If caught, those who violate the mandate can be fined at least $500 for each day of the rental term. Violators of the short-term rental ordinance can be identified on host websites or reported by neighbors.
Explaining the council’s stance, Halpern said the borough is trying to get ahead of the potential issues they’ve witnessed in other boroughs, where partyers rent Airbnbs or Vrbos (another popular rental site) and cause disturbances for residents.
“With Airbnb’s popularity exploding all over the country, with much of the way that we banned marijuana shops before it became a problem, we’re trying to have that same vision when it comes to short-term rental ordinances,” Halpern explained.
The borough council adopted the ordinance July 24 and it took effect immediately. Council member Christopher Rodriguez was the only vote against the ordinance after multiple residents voiced their concerns over the short-term rental ban.
The article originally appeared in the July 27 – August 2, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
