HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-24 John Holl TestimonyFrom: John Holl
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: Testimony Regarding Bill 157 –Short-Term Rentals
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 5:32:00 PM
Attachments: Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Planning Commission,.pdf
Aloha,
Please accept the attached testimony regarding Bill 157 and the June 30 hearing.
I have also included the testimony below in the body of this email for convenience.
Mahalo for your consideration.
John Holl
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Planning Commission,
My name is John Holl. I am a registered nurse, homeowner, and hosted short-term rental
operator in Hawaiian Paradise Park.
I am approaching retirement age and managing a long-term illness that has reduced my ability to work full-time. Like many residents, I made long-term financial decisions based on the
rules that existed when I purchased my home. The supplemental income from my hosted
short-term rental helps me remain financially independent, maintain my property, and age in
place in the home I worked hard to purchase and improve.
When I purchased my home in 2019, the understanding was that hosted short-term rentals
were an allowed use. That understanding played a significant role in my decision to invest in
Hawaiʻi Island and build my future here. Since then, I have spent years maintaining and
improving my property, welcoming visitors, paying taxes, and supporting local businesses.
Yet for much of that time, I have lived under continual uncertainty as proposal after proposal has threatened the viability of the business model that made my homeownership possible.
Had I known that hosted short-term rentals would face years of continual uncertainty and
repeated attempts at restriction, I likely would have made different decisions about where to
invest my savings and establish my retirement.
I believe it is important to understand that a decline in testimony should not be interpreted as
support for additional restrictions. Many of us are simply exhausted. I have testified multiple
times over the years, and many others have as well. The lack of testimony often reflects
burnout and discouragement, not agreement.
Hosted short-term rentals provide an essential service that is frequently overlooked. While
discussions often focus on tourism, many of my guests are Hawaiʻi residents. I have hosted
families attending weddings, graduations, funerals, birthday celebrations, and sporting events.
I have hosted residents whose homes were undergoing repairs or fumigation, families visiting
loved ones receiving medical care at Hilo Medical Center, and local residents simply seeking
an affordable place to stay while traveling between islands.
My rental is also one of the few affordable alternatives to hotels for working and middle-class
families. Many families cannot afford multiple hotel rooms or restaurant meals for every meal
of their trip. Hosted rentals provide kitchens, flexibility, and affordability while allowing
visitors to stay within local communities.
In addition, hosted rentals contribute directly to the local economy. My guests patronize
restaurants, farmers markets, stores, and service providers throughout Puna. I employ local
housekeepers, lawn care professionals, and maintenance workers. Unlike large corporations
that distribute profits to mainland shareholders, the majority of the money generated by my
small business stays in Hawaiʻi.
Operating a hosted rental is not passive income. It involves guest communication, property
maintenance, cleaning coordination, bookkeeping, tax compliance, and continual
improvements. After taxes, fees, operating costs, and maintenance expenses, the remaining
income is modest. Much of what I earn is reinvested back into the property.
For me, this has never been solely about income. It has been about creating a welcoming place
where visitors can experience Hawaiʻi through the eyes of a resident. I share my botanical
garden, including Hawaiian native plants and traditional uses, with guests from around the
world. Many tell me that these personal interactions become some of the most memorable parts of their visit.
I understand the need to address housing challenges on Hawaiʻi Island. However, my hosted
rental does not remove a long-term housing unit from the market. My family uses this space
throughout the year, and converting it to a long-term rental would make that impossible.
I respectfully ask the Commission to recognize the value that hosted short-term rentals provide
to residents, visitors, local businesses, and the broader community. Please do not mistake
public fatigue for public support. Many of us continue to care deeply about this issue, even if
we no longer have the energy to testify at every hearing.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
John Holl
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Hawaiʻi Island
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Planning Commission,
My name is John Holl. I am a registered nurse, homeowner, and hosted short-term rental operator in
Hawaiian Paradise Park.
I am approaching retirement age and managing a long-term illness that has reduced my ability to
work full-time. Like many residents, I made long-term financial decisions based on the rules that
existed when I purchased my home. The supplemental income from my hosted short-term rental
helps me remain financially independent, maintain my property, and age in place in the home I
worked hard to purchase and improve.
When I purchased my home in 2019, the understanding was that hosted short-term rentals were an
allowed use. That understanding played a significant role in my decision to invest in Hawaiʻi Island
and build my future here. Since then, I have spent years maintaining and improving my property,
welcoming visitors, paying taxes, and supporting local businesses. Yet for much of that time, I have
lived under continual uncertainty as proposal after proposal has threatened the viability of the
business model that made my homeownership possible.
Had I known that hosted short-term rentals would face years of continual uncertainty and repeated
attempts at restriction, I likely would have made different decisions about where to invest my savings
and establish my retirement.
I believe it is important to understand that a decline in testimony should not be interpreted as support
for additional restrictions. Many of us are simply exhausted. I have testified multiple times over the
years, and many others have as well. The lack of testimony often reflects burnout and
discouragement, not agreement.
Hosted short-term rentals provide an essential service that is frequently overlooked. While
discussions often focus on tourism, many of my guests are Hawaiʻi residents. I have hosted families
attending weddings, graduations, funerals, birthday celebrations, and sporting events. I have hosted
residents whose homes were undergoing repairs or fumigation, families visiting loved ones receiving
medical care at Hilo Medical Center, and local residents simply seeking an affordable place to stay
while traveling between islands.
My rental is also one of the few affordable alternatives to hotels for working and middle-class
families. Many families cannot afford multiple hotel rooms or restaurant meals for every meal of their
trip. Hosted rentals provide kitchens, flexibility, and affordability while allowing visitors to stay within
local communities.
In addition, hosted rentals contribute directly to the local economy. My guests patronize restaurants,
farmers markets, stores, and service providers throughout Puna. I employ local housekeepers, lawn
care professionals, and maintenance workers. Unlike large corporations that distribute profits to
mainland shareholders, the majority of the money generated by my small business stays in Hawaiʻi.
Operating a hosted rental is not passive income. It involves guest communication, property
maintenance, cleaning coordination, bookkeeping, tax compliance, and continual improvements.
After taxes, fees, operating costs, and maintenance expenses, the remaining income is modest. Much
of what I earn is reinvested back into the property.
For me, this has never been solely about income. It has been about creating a welcoming place where
visitors can experience Hawaiʻi through the eyes of a resident. I share my botanical garden, including
Hawaiian native plants and traditional uses, with guests from around the world. Many tell me that
these personal interactions become some of the most memorable parts of their visit.
I understand the need to address housing challenges on Hawaiʻi Island. However, my hosted rental
does not remove a long-term housing unit from the market. My family uses this space throughout the
year, and converting it to a long-term rental would make that impossible.
I respectfully ask the Commission to recognize the value that hosted short-term rentals provide to
residents, visitors, local businesses, and the broader community. Please do not mistake public fatigue
for public support. Many of us continue to care deeply about this issue, even if we no longer have the
energy to testify at every hearing.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
John Holl
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Hawaiʻi Island