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Another point that hits home for us, since we have both: it's near-impossible to maintain a long <br /> term rental the way it should be maintained, especially during a lengthy tenancy. A tenant stays <br /> ten years, say. Even with walkthroughs and regular communication, maintenance items are <br /> likely piling up that require more than a quick, supervised walkthroughs to see. An owner tries to <br /> turn a long term rental around after a long tenancy likely finds a prohibitive list of repairs and <br /> maintenance items that hinders their getting the property rented again. Short term rentals allow <br /> owners to take better care of their investments, since they are able to gain access when the unit <br /> is not booked. It's short term or sell for many owners who have had negative experiences with <br /> long term, even if those experiences were not deliberately malicious on the part of the tenants. <br /> A few other points: <br /> -Owner vs Operator-Operated: Who cares? If the property is providing full-time lodging for <br /> someone, who cares if they're the owner? They're a Hawaii resident with a job and a place to <br /> live. They should be treated the same under laws that govern transient rentals. <br /> -Per Heather Kimball at the Windward Meeting early April: "If you've got an issue with these <br /> fees, do you plan on actually violating the law???" I mean, kinda, yeah. Not intentionally, but <br /> have you ever missed a safety check? Just forgot? Or you had a family emergency and missed <br /> your appointment? Most have. We're not criminals, even though we have technically broken the <br /> law. <br /> -The Director of Planning has enough to do without verifying complaints as violations. The Third <br /> Circuit Court has enough to do without processing appeals to complaints. <br /> -It's not the fault of good owners who pay their taxes and fees that Bill 108 is not being enforced. <br /> Don't make us the cash cow that funds that. If it was not enforceable when it was passed, that is <br /> not our fault. <br /> -What do you mean, Ms. Kimball, that consumers have a right to stay in lodgings that are <br /> confirmed to be safe? Who makes sure that long term rental is safe? Who checks that hotel <br /> room is safe? So owners have to file an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, that their unit meets <br /> health, safety and code requirements. Generally, owners aren't experts in any of these things. <br /> What if the code has changed since their unit was built? They don't necessarily know if they're <br /> perjuring themselves here. Don't put that on us. Does that safety check mean my car is safe? <br /> The mechanic checks that my brake lights work, not that my brake lights won't fail a mile down <br /> the road. <br /> My conclusion: this bill is an insult to not just those of us trying to run a good business, but to <br /> the tourism industry, to visitor relations here in Hawaii, to private property rights and to housing <br /> security. The narrow approach this bill takes, focusing on one group of property owners in <br /> attempt to free up long term housing, is misguided at best and very damaging at worst. <br />