Cherry Hill Township pulled a proposed housing inspection ordinance after residents who rent out parts of their homes on Airbnb raised alarms about its unintended costs.

Martha Wright, 70, rents the three-room addition to her Munn Lane home for $175 a night on Airbnb. The space was built for her aging mother, who moved in after breaking her hip and leaving the family home she'd lived in for 65 years. After her mother died, Wright began booking short-term guests in 2021. She has hosted roughly 100 stays since then.

"This is not a business for me," Wright told 70and73.com. "This is a way to use this space to honor my mother."

The addition is furnished with antiques her late father built, including a wooden kitchen table and a pie chest, replicating the home her parents shared for decades. The rental income helps Wright pay her property tax bill and stay in the house.

The ordinance, introduced at the July 13 Township Council meeting and advanced to a second reading, would have raised the township's housing inspection fee from $65 to $80. The fee applies each time a new renter moves in. For apartment buildings with low turnover, $80 is manageable. For short-term rental hosts, it would hit with every guest.

The math is stark. One Cherry Hill Airbnb listing charges $75 a night, meaning the $80 fee would exceed an entire one-night stay's revenue.

Wright and other hosts pushed back. Township officials pulled the ordinance by July 16, according to 70and73.com, saying it needed more scrutiny.

Brian Bauerle, chief of staff to Mayor David Fleisher, told 70and73.com the township "will not be moving forward with this ordinance at the next Council meeting." He said the decision came after hearing feedback and that the township does not intend to make it harder for seniors to raise money to remain in Cherry Hill.

Township attorney Cosmas Diamantis said officials were not targeting short-term rentals with the measure.

Wright estimates about half her guests have some connection to Cherry Hill. Many are former residents or have ties to the neighboring Barclay Farm development. One regular guest is a miniature artist who visits annually for a convention in town. Wright said most of her guests appear to be 50 or older.

Mayor Fleisher has made aging-in-place a priority, pushing to keep empty nesters in their homes with recreational opportunities and social services. Wright said she intends to stay put. The pulled ordinance will not appear on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled Council meeting, Monday, July 27.