Toms River Warns Residents To Stop Renting Out Their Home Pools

Toms River NJ

22 July, 2021

12:10 PM

Description

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River residents who have been trying to rent out their private home swimming pools through websites are being warned they will face charges for violating the township's ordinances. Private pool rentals have been a hot-button issue in Toms River for a few years, and were banned in 2018 under the township's short-term rentals ordinance. That has not stopped some homeowners from trying to rent their swimming pools out on an hourly or daily basis through several websites that operate similar to Airbnb. The most popular, Swimply, was recently highlighted in articles in the Wall Street Journal and Insider. Hot weather, lengthy delays in getting swimming pools installed because demand skyrocketed last summer during the pandemic, and a spike in the price of pool chlorine that USA Today reported was fueled by a fire at a Louisiana plant, have led more people to use the websites to seek a place to take a dip. "Homeowners place photos of their pools online and offer to rent them for several hours or the entire day," township officials said. Town ordinances consider the rental of a home's amenities, including the swimming pool, to be a commercial use in a residential neighborhood. "It is also illegal to advertise, either in print or online, the illegal pool rentals," officials said. Homeowners violating the ordinance will be issued summonses and face fines of up to $2,000 per occurrence, 90 days in jail and/or 90 days of community service. In 2020, a Toms River homeowner was cited for having 85 childrendropped off by bus to use the pool for a fee. "We have ordinances in place to protect not only the integrity and peacefulness of neighborhoods but the overall health and safety of residents," Mayor Maurice Hill said. Toms River's Code Enforcement officials and the town's Quality-of-Life unit are checking the listings and will issue summonses to anyone found violating the law. "These rentals illegally convert private swimming pools into public pools in violation of state, local, and Ocean County Health Department regulations," Hill said. Homeowners who violate the township's ordinance also can face state enforcement actions, and the private rentals may compromise their homeowner insurance coverage, Hill said. Anyone with information on an illegal pool rental should contact Toms River's Code Enforcement Division at 732-341-1000, ext. 8440. Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email [email protected] Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.