2024-03-30 PL-CCI-2024-000003 Bill 121 Concerned Citizen Testimony

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In reality, many island landlords and private homes lack accountability and would not survive the public scrutiny and reviews that TARS must address. Due to public and posted reviews on sites like AirBnB and VRBO having o direct and immediate impact on our success, TAR owners already have o much higher level of enforced accountability than private homeowners and LTR landlords. I understand and I see the positive of establishing a set of standards, however,this should be equally imposed and enforced on all living environments equally and not so heavily segregated as presented in Bill 121 As a TAR host, and having hosted hundreds of guests, I and most TAR owners have had ZERO, issues with guests disrespecting quiet hours, destruction of property, or any situation that would have led to any health or safety issue whatsoever. If it happens it is the anomaly that is very quickly and easily rectified. This is due to the reality that most vacation guests also have the same level of accountability due to public sites they are on. Again, accountability is something long-term tenants do not have and thus can generate many more issues for landlords without repercussions back to themselves. The income from having a TAR has offered me the opportunity to significantly improve and even exceed the health, safety, and construction codes, and continue ongoing maintenance of my property that shows respect to the land and Hawaii which originally, I was unable to address with the lack of income resources and the list of other issues when operating a LTR. NOTE:Additional risks of LTR and why most will not convert their TARS and will choose vacancy instead: i. From first-hand experience,the chances and risks are very high for renting to local long-term tenants who does not choose to have a standard of living that motivates them to care for their environment, follow health and safety codes, maintain construction to code nor respect the current quiet hours. ii. With LTR tenants I had more issues with tenants hosting unapproved parties with other local families and friends not honoring the 10pm quiet hours and disturbing neighbors. When forced to involve the police to manage the tenant. In retaliation, the tenant compromised both health, safety, and construction codes that due to current tenant laws made it almost impossible for me as a landlord to enforce until after the eviction which took many, many months to achieve. iii. Long-term tenants exceed, without approval, the agreed or legal number of occupants by bringing friends and/or family to live with them and compromising both health and safety codes. The bottom line due to currenttenant rights the chances of having tenants thatwill violate basic renter standards are too high and the ability to enforce any health and safety codes and avoid property damage or neglect is very, very difficult.