Ocean Grove near Tent Village. Photo by Eileen Goldfinger ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
We recently had a flurry of interest in Airbnb rentals in the Grove. Some individuals seemed to think that this phenomenon was causing a deterioration in OG lifestyles in terms of crowding, parking, and boorish behavior. But such issues were not well documented. Short term rentals have always been present in the Grove. Here is a link from two years ago on the subject:
We have heard about illegal rentals as well as outrageous rentals. Recently a woman from the south side wrote us a long letter that renters were ruining her block and home, including mice infestations.
It’s hard to generalize about OG since we are a town of small and diverse neighborhoods. My block, for example, has only one renter, but one block over, there are quite a few.
I also heard from a woman who rents her house in summer and finds it to be essential to keep her head above water financially. She was concerned that her endeavor would get a bad name on Blogfinger, but really there have been few complaints.
If you do some searches on Blogfinger (search box above) you will find historic references to the vast number of rooming houses that used to be here and were actually essential in the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Grove given the vast religious tourism industry.
Anyhow, this post allows me to bring back a favorite song by Teddy Thompson from the film Brokeback Mountain:
Shelly it is apparent you love Ocean Grove!
Let’s pray there are more people like us.
The stand is worth the effort!
I don’t think the issue is about renting versus owning. It’s a question of people actually living in a place versus just passing through.
The former, at least to me, is what helps develop a sense of community and vested interest in the neighborhood.
Frankly, the most boorish behavior on my block is from long-term owners who think they own the block. Having been a renter and now using now Airbnb when I travel, I don’t think you can generalize any group.
Shelley: Thank you for your research. At Blogfinger we have been posting frequently about the quality of life of our residents.
Your contribution regarding short term rentals amplifies yet another issue that will be ignored. We can see that other communities understand who they are, so they take action.
Ocean Grove is an anomaly stemming from a lack of cohesive direction, historical perspective, and leadership.
Opposition to short term rentals is not just a problem for Ocean Grove.
In St. Helena, CA, opponents of short term rentals complained of rowdy late-night parties, a lack of privacy, heavy traffic and disrespectful, drunken guests. They said short-term rentals (STRs), along with the proliferation of second-home owners, contribute to the hollowing out of St. Helena’s community.
They pleaded with community officials to “give higher priority to your citizens’ quality of life than to some tourist’s desire for a neighborhood experience, some absentee owner’s desire to finance their weekend home through a short-term rental, or some misguided notion that we can balance our city’s budget by cramming our neighborhoods full of STRs.”
In a letter to the Post and Courier, a Charleston, NC city planner said “The commercial nature of these short-term rentals is truly changing the character, livability and affordability of our neighborhoods. As a homeowner and professional planner I am aware of no compelling argument that favors short-term rentals. (I served as director/deputy director of planning for the city of Charleston for over 30 years.) This matter is not just about noise, parking and trash but the transient nature of the properties.
“The very concept of neighborhood comes into question when your neighbors change every week and have no vested interest in the neighborhood.”
A 2015 survey of Coronado, CA residents, overwhelmingly agreed that short term rentals were a significant threat to the quality of life in Coronado.
A letter to The Lens in New Orleans puts an interesting spin on how short term rentals are driving up property taxes.
http://thelensnola.org/2017/08/25/short-term-rentals-create-a-long-term-problem-soaring-taxes-for-the-rest-of-us/
A terrific job of journalism! Miami has got it right! Neptune Township should follow suit and fine illegal renters.
This Township should not stand for this abuse as the quality of life is being destroyed! Why isn’t the Home Owners Assoc. taking a stand in this matter?
Here is a link of interest from a BF reader:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/01/airbnb-nightmare-homeowners-fined-after-renters-illegal-listings.html
If any Grovers are illegally listing their places on AirBnb, they run the risk of fines.
I agree with Shelly. These “One Night Stand” rentals are destabilizing the neighborhoods in Ocean Grove. I am surrounded by them! This will destroy our Community from the “Greed” of these landlords. Thirty day rentals should be the minimum.
I am one of those who people who think that this phenomenon has been causing a deterioration in OG lifestyles in terms of crowding, parking, and boorish behavior. I would change the latter to loud and rude behavior.
In spite of the fact that the “season” is officially over, there are more than 70 rentals on AirBnb and approximately the same number of VRBO. My block has six—-some with multiple units. The majority of the short-term rentals are owned by absentee or very part time owners.
Last weekend, one these houses had a drunken crowd on the porch. At 2:30 AM a neighbor with a small child politely asked if the individuals could keep it down. He was promptly told that no they wouldn’t keep it down. “They” paid a lot of money for the place and would do what they wanted. This was not the first time for these renters.
The police were called, and the renters had been asked on numerous occasions to lower the noise. This is only one example.
So while short term rentals are not new to Ocean Grove, the number of them and the types of tourists the town is attracting are.