The Sparta Township Council in New Jersey has passed Ordinance 24-04, prohibiting short term rentals of residential properties. The decision came after several meetings and hours of public comments, petitions, and letters from both sides of the issue.
The ordinance restricts owners of single-family detached dwellings from renting their property for less than 28 days. It also prohibits advertising a property to be rented for less than 28 days. The ordinance was passed with a majority vote, with Mayor Neill Clark, Deputy Mayor Dean Blumetti, Councilman Dan Chiarello, and Councilwoman Christine Quinn voting in favor, and Councilman Josh Hertzberg voting against.
Councilwoman Quinn stated that she had spent countless hours researching the issue, meeting with key stakeholders including realtors, business owners, residents with short-term rentals, and residents with concerns about short-term rentals. She found that many of the concerns raised, such as noise, parking, septic capacity, and garbage, were linked to a failure of the township to have a thorough process of registering rentals.
Councilman Hertzberg, however, felt that there was a middle ground and that more work needed to be done. He suggested that there were commercial areas in town where short-term rentals could be possible.
The ordinance is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2025.