HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.135 2022-2024 From: Alan Smith
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 2:25 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Re: Bill 121
This bill is absolutely ridiculous and another example of our county legislators doing whatever the hotel industry tells them to
do. When the rules were changed in 2019 the argument was reducing the number of vacation rentals was going to lower rents
for residents-it was a complete lie then and if that's the justification this time it's yet another lie being thrust onto Hawai'i
island homeowners. Rents did not come down after 2019 and more rentals won't hit the market this time either.
I live in lower Puna where there are no hotels for our crooked legislators to protect. Restricting vacation rentals here only has
the effect of fewer visitors in this part of Hawai'i,the state's poorest district. Tourists staying here (whether it's hosted or un
hosted rentals)creates jobs for restaurant owners, providers of activities,shops,supermarkets,car rental agencies and the
people who clean and caretake vacation rentals. For many home owners who are part year residents their income from
renting their houses or ohana units is their ONLY income. I travel 2-3 months of the year and rent my house out(built in 2019)
with a 31 night minimum. I pay Transient Accommodation tax and GET to Hawaii county when I have vacation renters. If I
didn't rent my house out it during these times it would simply be left vacant(for meth-head squatters to move into). If I were
to travel for 6 months there is ZERO chance of finding a vacation renter for my house during that time,so changing the
definition of a STVR from 30 days to 180 days is simply a way to ban owners from renting their houses out at all.
In my neighborhood in Lower Puna there are currently a lot of vacation rentals and overall they are the houses that are well
maintained,the grass is mowed,they don't have 3 barking dogs and 5 derelict unregistered cars scattered around the property
and the vacation renters (both mainlanders and foreigners)are excellent neighbors. I wish ALL my neighboring houses were
full or part time STVRs. This county seems to have lost track of the fact that WE own our houses and NOT the county or Hilton
or Marriott and we should be able to do with our houses whatever we want. For a change it would be nice if our legislators
did what homeowners and residents wanted and not what the Kona hotel owners wanted.
Alan Smith
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