HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.593 2022-2024 P/pcPillo
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airbnb
November 6, 2024 r -t
Hawaii County Council
Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Development
Hawaii County Building
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 =_-
Re: BILL 121 RELATING TO TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATION RENTALS AND HOSTING
PLATFORMS
Aloha Councilmembers,
Mahalo for the opportunity to comment on Bill 121, related to transient accommodation rentals
and hosting platforms.
Airbnb appreciates the effort the Hawai'i County Council has made to create a sustainable
short-term rental program. The Council has recently passed a resolution requesting an
economic impact study on short-term rentals and their effects on the island's economy. We urge
the Council to complete this important study to better understand the negative impacts of Bill
121 before moving to enact further legislation.
Earlier this year, Travel Tech and local economists at Kloninger and Sims released their own
economic study on the local short-term rental industry. It found that short-term rental guests in
Hawai'i County spent over$1.3 billion in 2023 alone—approximately 10% of the county GDP. In
addition, the same report found that short-term rental guests represent approximately 43% of
the entire island's tourism and visitor market.
In its current form, Bill 121 creates onerous registration requirements and unreasonable
registration fees. The measure's economic consequences could be severe and have a lasting
adverse impact on the livelihoods for generations of residents who rely on tourism.
We urge the County Council to:
• Simplify the rules, license requirements, and registration process. In our
experience, a complicated registration system which requires hosts to obtain a variety of
permits and documentation leads to low compliance and undermines the public's
confidence that short-term rentals are being properly regulated. In order to maximize the
number of hosts who comply with the license registration, the County should consider
creating a licensing system which allows all hosts to submit an application online and
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airbnb
creates a straightforward registration process with clear requirements of application and
approval.
• Reduce the fine structure amounts. Airbnb supports reasonable fine structures for
non-compliant hosts and neighbors. However, Bill 121 creates a number of new fines
and fees that are onerous and exorbitant, even for small issues.
We encourage the County of Hawai'i to follow through on its resolution to conduct an
economic impact study on short-term rentals and their effects on the Hawaii economy
before moving forward with Bill 121.
We are committed to working with lawmakers on fair rules that address local concerns while
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also protecting the economic benefits of home sharing for homeowners and local communities
that rely on tourism.
Mahalo,
Alex Folsom
Senior Policy Manager