HomeMy WebLinkAboutMoore, Preston
Testimony Regarding Bill 147
Aloha Chair and Members of the Hawaiʻi County Council and Planning Commission,
My name is Preston Moore. I am writing to respectfully ask that you reconsider the approach
taken in Bill 147. I support responsible regulation of short-term vacation rentals. I do not
support placing every transient rental, from a 30+ nights to six months, under one set of rules.
That approach would hurt people who have followed the law and who rely on these homes for
very real reasons.
Vacation rentals that host guests for fewer than 30 days should continue to be licensed and
held to clear standards in appropriate locations. I agree that operators who are out of
compliance, or who are not paying the taxes they owe, should be held accountable, and the
earlier survey that identified those problems is a fair reason to act. Stays of 30 to 180 days
serve a different purpose, however, and they deserve a framework that reflects that.
Our property has followed every existing rule. We have hosted a construction crew that was
building housing in our community and stayed for more than 30 days. We also welcomed an
insurance customer whose home had suffered a catastrophic loss and who needed a safe,
stable place to live while it was being repaired. Both stays lasted longer than a month but short
of six months. Neither family needed a lease that locked them in for half a year. Their needs
were temporary and specific, and a place that fits those needs made a difficult season more
manageable. Our house is outside designated hotel tourist zones. These individuals wanted to
stay outside of these zones to take advantage of community, and this broad-brush approach of
Bill 147 completely negates the wishes and needs of these individuals and their families.
Behind every stay like these is a person in transition: a worker sent here to build homes, a
family recovering from a disaster, a nurse or teacher starting a new position, or someone
between leases. They contribute to our economy every day, and they spend in our local shops,
restaurants, and services. Under Bill 147 as written, they would be pushed toward
commitments much longer than they need, or priced out of the options that work for them.
That burden would fall hardest on the people our community most needs to keep here.
I share the County's goal of more affordable housing for residents. I do not believe this
approach will reach that goal. A county economic study found that restricting short-term
vacation rentals would reduce visitor spending by nearly one-fourth, and it concluded that units
lost to restrictions would likely not return to long-term housing. Shrinking the supply of mid-
term homes will not lower rents. Higher lodging costs would also make Hawaiʻi less affordable
for visitors, which would put pressure on the tax revenue that visitor spending supports.
My family holds a business license and has paid the General Excise Tax and Transient
Accommodations Tax to the County and State on every stay. Our property taxes also support
county services. Responsible operators already contribute to state and county revenue. Rules
should separate those who follow the law from those who do not, rather than penalizing
everyone equally.
I respectfully request that you:
• Keep the 30-day threshold for short-term vacation rentals, and create a separate, lighter
framework for stays of 30 to 180 days.
• Focus enforcement on operators who are out of compliance or not paying required
taxes.
• Build on licensing and tax collection, which already work for responsible operators.
• Consider the human impact of any change, including on health care workers, educators,
and families displaced by emergencies.
Thank you for your time and for the care you bring to the work of serving our island. I would
welcome the opportunity to answer questions or to meet with you in person.
Mahalo,
Preston Moore
347-601-6120