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Only a handful of homes were affected, but it was surprising for the governing body to see the trend start in a community comprised mostly of single-family homes, Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon said.
“We hear that in other towns, and some bigger cities, the trend gets a foothold and it can become a bigger problem," he said.
“We got some complaints that there were Airbnb-type rentals happening."
To prevent transient neighborhoods developing in Ridgewood, Sedon explained, the council decided to nip the trend in the bud.
The Village Council voted unanimously for the new law, which doesn’t prohibit people from staying in the home of family members, officials said.
The measure is targeting strangers who go onto the Internet to rent a room, part of a house, or a whole house, Sedon emphasized.
"You might get investors buying homes who might just want to rent them out,” he added, “whether they’re doing Airbnb or some other kind of short-term rentals or vacation homes.”
The penalty for not complying with the law is a fine to be determined by a judge in an amount not to exceed $1,000, according to Acting Village Manager/Village Clerk Heather Mailander.
After a property owner receives written notice, each day of a violation is considered a new and separate violation, she said.
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