Lindenhurst law would ban swimming pool, yard rentals in village
Trustee RJ Renna likened the proposed code amendment banning pool and yard rentals to another the village made last year when it banned short-term home rentals, such as those on Airbnb. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Officials in the Village of Lindenhurst will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed law that would ban residents from renting out their pools and yards.
The proposal would add a sentence to the village’s code on rental occupancy permits. The proposed amendment reads: “In no event may any residential property be rented or used in whole or part for any third party, transient recreational use such as pool or hut tub rentals, party or yard rentals, or sport court rentals.”
Those found in violation could face a fine of $500 to $1,000, imprisonment up to 15 days, or both.
Trustee RJ Renna said he had read a Newsday story about the company Swimply, which lists private pool rentals online. The company has about 5,500 listings for hourly rentals nationwide, including 80 to 100 listings on Long Island. The pools typically rent for $45 to $60 an hour on Long Island.
Renna said he saw a Swimply listing for nearby Copiague and became concerned.
“I said, is this something we want going on here in Lindenhurst?” Renna said. “People could rent a pool for 20 to 30 people and right now with what’s going on with COVID, it just doesn’t seem responsible for us to allow something like that to happen.”
Renna said the law also includes a ban on renting yards because the village has begun selling properties damaged in 2012 by superstorm Sandy to neighbors, but the properties must be free of structures.
“If you have a space that you’re not able to build on but it’s attached to your property, who knows, it could be a host for a space that could be rented for a party,” Renna said. “That’s not something [neighbors] bought their house to live next to, a gig business.”
Renna likened the code amendment to another the village made last year when it banned short-term home rentals, such as those on Airbnb.
“We’re not trying to beat people up,” he said. “We’re just trying to protect the integrity of the community and maintain the quality of life.”
The hearing is at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. More information is on the village’s website.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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