JACKSON – Township officials unanimously approved an ordinance aimed at home leasing such as those provided by Airbnb.
The ordinance came late last month a few days after police raided a “mansion party” at a Whispering Hills residence that had been leased on Airbnb. The party drew a crowd of over 700 people.
The Council wanted to end the practice of such short-term rentals and the measure was passed after its public hearing. The ordinance bans short-term rentals, including services like Airbnb and institutes a 30-day minimum on rentals.
Vice Council President Andrew Kern, who chaired the meeting that evening said, “Once again this council is demonstrating our commitment to sustaining and improving the rural quality of life and open space that our residents love and enjoy.”
“We must all do everything in our power to safeguard our residents against those whose only goal is to profit off of our wonderful township,” Kern said.
Mayor Michal Reina commented on the passage of the ordinance saying, “Council, thank you for acting swiftly regarding the Airbnb. It is a public safety issue. It always has been and always will be. All our residents matter.
“It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you are in, we are going to look into anything that is not going well,” the mayor added.
Council President Alex Sauickie noted during the July 28 council meeting that the Whispering Hills party brought Jackson unwelcome attention when the incident became known around the country. “Once again, Jackson was painted in a negative spotlight by residents who don’t live in our town.”
The mansion party became a national story in relation to the ongoing pandemic which has seen more than 180,000 cases reported in New Jersey as well as approximately 14,000 deaths attributed to the coronavirus.
Yaakov Weiss, 40, had only purchased the Mill Pond Road home a few days before leasing it for the large party on Airbnb. Police and township officials reported the party was advertised on Instagram as a Liberian Independence Day “mansion party,” advertising free food and jungle juice, a twerking contest with a $1,000 grand prize and free admission until 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., admission jumped to $10 per person.
Videos that hit social media showed attendees smoking, drinking and dancing and not adhering to any social distancing regulations.
Township police had responded to the scene around 8:30 p.m. and the officer on the scene quickly called for back-up. It took officers about five hours to completely disperse those at the party. On Instagram, party organizers reported was actually closer to 1,500 people.
Weiss along with the event’s two organizers Patience Guanue, 23, and Alicia Hinneh, 22, of Newark were each issued summons for violating the governor’s executive order limiting gatherings.
During the ordinance’s introduction, Round Hill Road resident Lisa Gomez made her opinion clear that she believed Weiss deliberately planned the party as a way to disturb the neighborhood and strongly urged the governing body to take a strong action against Weiss.
Officials had confirmed that Airbnb spokesman Samuel Randall had removed the party organizers off the website and deactivated the Mill Pond Road listing.
Resident Richard Egan echoed Gomez’s sentiments during the Aug. 11 meeting urging for strong action to be taken and asking Business Administrator Terence Wall for an update on the investigation.
Wall said he couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation but assured Egan that “we are looking at the issue in its entirety. The Jackson Police Dept. are involved with any related law enforcement agencies they would coordinate with.”
Egan, a former police officer, said he’d received some phone calls from people he knew and didn’t know asking him if he had heard an update on the case. “People are really nervous here. This can’t die a silent death. These people have to be brought to some type of justice – not a summons. I urge you to get as much information as you can and pressure law enforcement agencies involved. Thank you for passing the ordinance but with all these social media apps they can look up a party in five minutes”
A large gathering was held in nearby Howell Township on Aug. 9 where a township resident hosted a pool party that drew an estimated crowd of 500 people. The owner of the home charged $30 a person to take part in the event and was charged by authorities in violation of the governor’s executive orders pertaining to social distancing. Jackson Police were among eight law enforcement agencies that responded to that incident.
Other municipalities such as Lacey have also passed ordinances banning short-term rentals as a way to prevent single-family homes from being turned into small scale hotels.
Some critics have said the ordinances may prevent them from earning extra income, especially along the tourism-centric Jersey shore.
New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill in 2019 that would have imposed a short-term rental tax. When Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill, he removed the tax for person-to-person rentals but left it in place for online marketplaces, like Airbnb.
“Everyone who walks around refusing to wear a mask or who hosts a house party or overstuffs a boat directly contributes to these increases (in coronavirus cases),” Gov. Murphy said during his Aug. 1 news conference when asked about the Jackson party.
“This has to stop. This has to stop now,” Murphy said adding that house parties were a breeding ground for the virus.
