HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0739.305 2016-2018 PI P%
comments on Bill 108, draft 3
for Hawai'i County Council Planning Committee, 10:30 AM Tuesday, July 10, 2018, Hilo chamber
from Cory Harden, 333 cory@gmail.com �, On
Zo
We are the only county in the state with no vacation rental regulations. (a) r --{z
""<�
Perhaps due to this lack of regulation, Kapoho Vacationland, before it was wiped out, had vacation o CD<
rentals in an estimated 4 out of every 5 houses (b) A neighborhood practically became a hotel.
But regulation is tricky. On one hand, many vacation rental owners are just trying to make ends mein
the other hand, neighbors' rents and property taxes go up, while enjoyment of their home goes dowri On
top of that,the lava emergency is preventing many residents from having input on this bill.
That said, here are suggestions for Bill 108:
• Limit the number of vacation rentals: require new rentals to be a certain distance away from
existing rentals. Or allow only so many per owner. Or allow only so many permits in each district.
• Require proof that TAT (Transient Accommodation Tax) is being paid,to offset impacts of tourism
• Prohibit"monster houses"to preserve the character of the neighborhood.
• Require several years of ownership before conversion to a vacation rental. Maui requires five
years. (c)
• Consider a separate property tax classification, like Maui. (c)
• Vary the renewal fee based on the amount of bedrooms.
Mahalo.
NOTES
(a) "Bill 108 is Hawaii County Council's first attempt to regulate the increasingly popular Airbnb,
VRBO, and other short-term rentals. The county is the only one in the state not regulating such
rentals."
https:/!www.luvarealestate.com/blog/what you-need-to-know-about-bill-108-regulations-on-short-
term-vacation-rentals-in-hawaii.html
(b) Civil Defense chief Talmadge "Magno said an estimated 80 percent of homes in the area are
some form of vacation rental property."
Lava claims hundreds of Kapoho-area homes; destruction assessments continue, Hawaii Tribune-
Herald, June 6, 2018,
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2018/06/06/hawaii-news/lava-claims-hundreds-of-kapoho-area-
homes-destruction-assessments-continue/
(c) "Maui recently passed a bylaw which requires a property to be owned for five years before it can
be turned into a vacation rental. We think this only applies to properties which have never been legal
vacation rentals in the past and is primarily focused on restricting growth of vacation rentals in
residential areas. Most vacation rentals on Maui are in "resort zones"and would be unaffected by the
new rules.
Maui is also creating a new property classification for vacation rentals. The rate hasn't been set, but
as my place is on Maui, I know that 1 already pay significantly higher property taxes than an identical
property which is not a vacation rental. (On Maui, one of the lowest property tax rates is actually
reserved for hotels.]"
Rental by Owner Awareness Association, May 1, 2018, http://www.rboaa.org/news/
Comm. Nor l3q'
Rof.To: P!PG
Ref. Date JUL 10`ZU t