Jersey City voters to decide fate of short-term rental regulations

Voters in Jersey City are set to decide the fate of short-term rental regulations in the city.
Ahead of Tuesdays’ election, Jersey City residents say they have been bombarded with robocalls and campaign ads about the topics. Another rally was held in the city Friday to address the issue, which has become a hot-button topic in the city.
“Why are we giving the government more opportunities to take our money away?” asks Airbnb host Felicia Palmer.
Palmer says that being able to rent out her property through the Airbnb app has helped her keep a roof over her head during hard times.
“If I hadn’t had the extra income from Airbnb, I would not have been able to pay that mortgage,” she says.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop says that the city imposed tougher regulations on the rentals due to complaints from residents.
“We have more and more complaints to the City Council and my office about quality of life issues because of these unregulated hotels in the middle of the block,” he says.
Airbnb opposed the regulations and has supported a petition drive that forced the issue on to the ballot. The ordinance would limit what types of properties and for how many days a year a property can be rented on Airbnb or a similar program.
The campaign for a "No" vote on measure received support from Carpenters Union Local 253 and the NAACP on Friday.