🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Spring Lake, NJ
Spring Lake Takes a Stand: New STR Rules Target Noise, Turnover, and ‘Neighborhood Hotels
After Summer Turmoil, Spring Lake Pushes Forward With Strict New STR Rules
After months of neighborhood noise, sleepless weekends, and a steady rise in turnover-heavy rentals, Spring Lake is pushing forward with major changes to its rental rules.
Ordinance 2025-006 marks one of the most significant steps the town has taken in years to rein in disruptive short-term rentals and bring back stability to residential blocks overwhelmed by weekly guest churn.
Dina ZahorskyThe move follows two council meetings where residents didn’t hold back about their experiences. From loud late-night groups to backyard fireworks and constant driveway traffic, many felt the character of their streets was slipping away. Residents like Trish Hansen described weekly guest swaps and skipped rental Certificates of Occupancy (COs), leaving neighbors questioning why existing rules weren’t being enforced. The frustration pushed council members to workshop solutions on the fly, with ideas ranging from stricter enforcement to limiting rental frequency.
At the center of the new ordinance is a bold change: a maximum of four rental turnovers per property per year. Because each new tenant requires a Rental Certificate of Occupancy, this cap effectively shuts down the weekly rental model that has fueled most complaints. Seasonal, monthly, and long-term rentals remain fully allowed, but homes operating like hotels will be forced to scale back.
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Short stays of six days or fewer remain illegal, but the ordinance now codifies that restriction in the “Prohibited Activities” section to remove any uncertainty about Airbnb-type bookings.
Beyond the turnover limit, the ordinance tightens several safety and nuisance standards. No sleeping in public interior areas or kitchens, no exterior bedroom locks, no parking on lawns, no barbecues in front yards, no porch sleeping after 11 p.m., and no renting out pools separately from the property. Occupancy limits must be followed, and tenants can receive summonses for violations—an important shift that places responsibility on both landlords and guests.
The Borough also clarified liability insurance requirements: $500,000 minimum coverage for most rentals, and $300,000 for owner-occupied 2–4 family homes. Rental Certificate of Occupancy applications will now require proof that taxes and utilities are paid and must be submitted within 10 days of lease signing.
Mayor Naughton revealed data showing that over one-third of rentals last summer were one-week stays and that more than 100 homes were in the seasonal rental cycle. This confirmed what residents had been saying: enforcement gaps were real, and high turnover was far more widespread than believed.
Neighboring Spring Lake Heights is dealing with similar issues and is exploring its own options, signaling that the rental problem is regional, not isolated.
Ordinance 2025-006 heads to public hearing and final vote on December 2, with many residents expected to speak before the council finalizes one of the Shore’s most consequential rental updates in recent memory.
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