JACKSON, N.J. – Jackson Township’s newly created Bureau of Rental Housing is facing sharp criticism and confusion after township officials admitted that the department has no certified inspectors to perform property inspections—despite charging landlords a $100 annual inspection fee.
But without inspectors, the town’s options to enforce the new landlord registry are limited.
The controversy came to a head at Tuesday night’s council meeting, where property owners questioned why they were being billed for inspections that cannot yet take place. The township has now extended the landlord registration deadline to February 4, citing last week’s snowstorm, but many say the real issue is a department that exists largely on paper.
Many landlords with obligations to register their rental property for inspection in January, according to the township, have not registered yet.
Others who have registered are upset that the township is collecting a fee for a service and inspection it cannot provide.
“Doesn’t that seem a little ridiculous that I’m going to pay $100 for an inspection that’s not going to happen?” asked Ann Marie Skroy, a longtime Jackson landlord who owns two rental properties on 60 acres. She told council members she was informed the township lacks staff to conduct any inspections this year.
Officials confirmed that just one person, Hope Drew, has been hired for the bureau so far, the only person in the new department.
Drew, who is not yet certified to perform inspections, according to township officials, was appointed to help launch the department. Councilman Nino Borrelli acknowledged that Drew lacks the required credentials, while insiders allege the hire was politically motivated to sideline her from a potential 2026 mayoral run against Mayor Jennifer Kuhn.
Business Administrator Charles W. Terefenko admitted the township is still “working through growing pains.”
Council President Mordechai Burnstein said more than 150 applications have been received for inspector positions, but defended the ongoing collection of fees without service, saying the funds will help pay for staff salaries once hiring is complete.
It’s starting to sound like a pyramid scheme as lanlords today are footing the bill for the payroll for a department that can’t provide the service. Future landlords are expected to fund the department to pay for inspectors not yet hired to peform actual inspections.
It’s a mess.
Council Vice President Giuseppe Palmeri said he was “appalled” that residents were told no inspections would occur, calling it misinformation, fiercely defending Kuhn’s new department.
But Councilman Chris Pollak—who opposed creating the new bureau—criticized the move as unnecessary expansion of local government.
“We could have just hired more code enforcement officers rather than growing our government and creating a whole new bureau,” Pollak said.
A new department and hiring with political undertones
Much of the new department’s role is an attempt to bolster Jackson Mayor Jennifer Kuhn’s electability and political strategy between Kuhn and Burnstein.
Mayor Kuhn said she has been in talks with Hope Drew to run with her as a councilwoman in the November general election. Burnstein confirmed that the hiring of Drew was initially intended to keep her from running as a candidate against the Kuhn ticket.
However, Burnstein said ‘selling’ Hope Drew to the growing Orthodox Jewish community as a political candidate would be a hard sell to his community, citing her past actions, which he deemed antisemitic.
At this time, it is not expected that Drew will run with Kuhn, but it is expected that the new job will keep her off the ballot.
Growing concerns over the new department
Adding to the frustration, landlords said there are no links, contact forms, or public resources for the new Bureau of Rental Housing on the township’s official website. Searches turn up little more than a job posting, and a link to download the existing landlord registry, leaving many unsure how to comply with the new registration mandate.
The program was billed by Mayor Jennifer L. Kuhn as a proactive measure to ensure safe, compliant housing and prevent illegal rentals. But without inspectors, no inspections have been scheduled, and officials admitted it could be weeks or even months before the bureau is operational.
Key points:
• Jackson Township extended its landlord registration deadline to February 4 after weather delays.
• Landlords are being charged $100 for inspections that cannot yet occur due to lack of certified staff.
• The lone hire for the new Bureau of Rental Housing is not qualified to perform inspections.
• Township officials say the department remains “a work in progress” as hiring continues.
• Residents demand transparency and question why they’re paying for a service the town can’t yet provide.
