New Jersey Realtors® Helps Defeat Rent Control in Asbury Park

BY BRUCE SHAPIRO

While issues being debated in Washington D.C. and Trenton can have a great impact on the real estate profession, policies enacted in local communities can have just as much of an impact on the industry, especially if they spread from one town to another.

Earlier this year, New Jersey Realtors® worked with Monmouth Ocean Regional Realtors® and engaged in a successful campaign to defeat a new rent control policy in Asbury Park. The city council adopted an ordinance supported by MORR and New Jersey Realtors® which created a vacancy policy and exempts one to four-family homes from rent control. However, a group of residents in favor of a stricter rent control policy had a question placed on the April 2021 ballot that, if approved, would have mandated rent control in all rentals in Asbury Park and eliminated the vacancy decontrol policy.

In response to this, using both National Association of Realtors® and New Jersey Realtors® Issues Mobilization Funds, Residents for Asbury Park, Inc. was created to oppose the stricter rent control ballot question. This group conducted a campaign to ask residents to keep the city’s rent control policy in place only for properties with five or more units and to maintain vacancy decontrol by voting no on the ballot question. Residents for Asbury Park, Inc. also conducted a campaign to remind residents to vote in the April elections.

The ballot question was defeated. On Election Day, 63 percent of Asbury Park residents voted to oppose the ballot question and maintain the city’s rent control policy. This represented a huge win not just in Asbury Park, but for all New Jersey Realtors® .

The campaign conducted in Asbury Park is just one example of the work done by New Jersey Realtors® on the local level. Over the years, New Jersey Realtors® has advocated for or against local issues including certificates of occupancy inspections, sign ordinances, land use and short-term rentals, and more. If you know of an issue affecting real estate, homeownership, or private property rights, contact the New Jersey Realtors® Government Affairs department and we will work with your local board or association to determine the best course of action on that issue.