Jackson Township begins crackdown on illegal rental properties
Late last year, the town passed an ordinance charging landlords $100 per property per year to conduct annual inspections. Those fees now fund the newly created Bureau of Rental Housing & Inspection.
More Stories
Jackson Township has declared war on illegal rental properties. Months after promising strict inspections, town leaders say they’re keeping their word.
Mayor Jennifer Kuhn tells News 12 that what they’ve found so far is shocking.
“We were suspicious that there were boarding houses in town. It has now been confirmed,” said Kuhn.
Kuhn showed News 12 a photo from inside a property inspected on Monday. She says the photos show materials used to divide a home meant for one family into space for far more.
Evidence also included coded and keypad locks and combinations on the bedroom doors instead of actual hand locks.
Late last year, the town passed an ordinance charging landlords $100 per property per year to conduct annual inspections. Those fees now fund the newly created Bureau of Rental Housing & Inspection. Kuhn says most rental owners are out-of-town LLCs. Violations could include hefty fines and even prosecution.
It can be a time-consuming process for inspectors. Their goal is to inspect about 50 homes per week. It will take about 10 months to finish the 2,000+ rentals in Jackson Township.
Jackson real estate agent Troy Davis says some residents have had enough.
“I have a client who lives in a very upscale area. He says to me, 'Troy, I want to sell.' He says, 'I don't want a thousand people living next door to me in one house.' So if that's indicative of what's going on, sure, there needs to be something done about it,” said Davis.
Other Jackson Township locals say they support what the inspectors are doing.
“You have to trust where you live. You have to trust what's going on around you and stuff like that. So I agree,” said Jessica Visconti, of Jackson Township.
On the first day of the inspections, about half the homes surveyed turned up violations, one so bad that police were called.
“I can't talk about criminal activity. I could just say that it's under investigation with our Jackson Police Department, and I believe the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office,” said Kuhn.
