LAKEHURST – After months of presenting his reasons for the need for rent control in the borough, a resident was disappointed to hear that nothing could be done.
Borough Attorney Ian M. Goldman and Mayor Harry Robbins both made comments during a recent Borough Council meeting stating that there was nothing the borough could do concerning his requests to have some form of rent control in the community.
A resident who feared reprisals if his name was mentioned, by the management of the private trailer park facility he lives at, has been urging the governing body to investigate the issue as increases in rent have occurred.
The resident said this facility he lives in has many elderly residents on fixed incomes and the increases are hitting their monthly budgets hard.
The resident was disappointed to hear Goldman and the mayor’s comments stating that there was nothing the borough could do concerning his requests to have some form of rent control in the community because it applies to a private trailer park facility.
For months the resident has asked for the governing body and its attorney to review what it was empowered to do on that subject.
He said there were 300 rentals in the borough and some were facing “seriously exorbitant rent. Some have $600 going to the landlord.”
“The landlords are allowed to make money but it has to be reasonable,” Goldman said.
“There isn’t anything legal we can do,” Mayor Robbins said.
“Unfortunately,” Councilwoman Patricia Hodges added.
Councilman James Davis said rent control such as what exists in New York City is for those developments operated by a municipality.
In other business, Council President Steven Oglesby reported that a review process for all borough department heads is being developed. “We want to make sure the employee evaluations are being done but so are the department heads.”
