what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

[Paul79]

for a couple years we've been renting vacation houses in Kailua. I hear that all the illegal ones (which is 99%) are going to be shut down soon. is this true? I visited this site: http://www.bnbcoalition.org/ and they said that most rentals will get shut down. we have always been good visitors and neighbors but I can understand why the community is upset (we faced something similar in our community). why are they enforcing this now? public opinion?

[Miulang]

Re: what's the deal with illegial vacation rentals?

for a couple years we've been renting vacation houses in Kailua. I hear that all the illegal ones (which is 99%) are going to be shut down soon. is this true? I visited this site: http://www.bnbcoalition.org/ and they said that most rentals will get shut down. we have always been good visitors and neighbors but I can understand why the community is upset (we faced something similar in our community). why are they enforcing this now? public opinion?

I think the deal is the local governments are thinking that they're not getting enough revenue from those units. If the owners of the units want to pay the steep taxes and apply for the appropriate licenses, they won't be shut down.

Miulang

P.S. and the people owning residences near those illegal rentals are also concerned about transients and additional traffic on their quiet streets.

[Paul79]

Re: what's the deal with illegial vacation rentals?

I think the deal is the local governments are thinking that they're not getting enough revenue from those units. If the owners of the units want to pay the steep taxes and apply for the appropriate licenses, they won't be shut down.

thanks for the reply. but according to the website I mentioned, only vacation rentals that were grandfathered in in 1989 will be legal. sounds like they're not trying to legitimize current rentals, but prohibit them altogether.

should we try another island? seems like Oahu has all the heat right now.

[Miulang]

Re: what's the deal with illegial vacation rentals?

thanks for the reply. but according to the website I mentioned, only vacation rentals that were grandfathered in in 1989 will be legal. sounds like they're not trying to legitimize current rentals, but prohibit them altogether.

should we try another island? seems like Oahu has all the heat right now.

I think the same problem exists on all the islands. Maui is trying to get the unlicensed BnBs closed down too. There aren't as many BnBs on Maui to begin with; most people rent timeshares there, of which there are tons in Lahaina/Kaanapali/Wailea/Kihei.

The BnB's that are probably the best on Maui are any of the ones located in the Paia/Haiku area because it's less touristy (fewer people). The world's best windsurfers hang out in Paia and at Hookipa Park.

Miulang

[waioli kai]

?what's with ADA compliance at HI illegal vacation rentals

.

Paul79= --"for a couple years we've been renting vacation houses in Kailua. I hear that all the illegal ones (which is 99%) are going to be shut down soon. is this true? I visited this site: http://www.bnbcoalition.org/ and they said that most rentals will get shut down. we have always been good visitors and neighbors but I can understand why the community is upset (we faced something similar in our community). why are they enforcing this now? public opinion?" --

Maybe illegal vacation-rentals' closings has more to do with the maintenance costs associated with making the commercial premises ADA compliant, as is required of every other tourist accomodation enterprise in Hawaii. Such enforcement of federal law did close down billions of dollars of speculatively owned propertys' commercial usage around San Diego not all that long ago. Speculative/tax-evasive, non-ADA [Americans (presumbly to include other nationalities as well) with Disabilities Act]-compliant, planning department-approval defiant, illegal, commercial enterprises are major tenacles of Hawaii real-estate fiefdoms and vacation-rental agencies.

[damontucker]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

I got a backyard for rent

[Tiabla]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

for a couple years we've been renting vacation houses in Kailua. I hear that all the illegal ones (which is 99%) are going to be shut down soon. is this true? I visited this site: http://www.bnbcoalition.org/ and they said that most rentals will get shut down. we have always been good visitors and neighbors but I can understand why the community is upset (we faced something similar in our community). why are they enforcing this now? public opinion?

According to this article from last week, they say that approximately 50% of rentals are illegal (i.e. they do not have a TVU license), but in my experience the numbers are much, much higher. I contacted almost 30 vacation rental proprietors here in Kailua for guests for our wedding, and all but 4 were illegal. I also looked at rentals in the Hawaii Kai and North Shore areas and there were very few legal properties. Also, the legal properties are far more expensive than the other rentals ($1300/night vs. about $400 night for a 3 bedroom house).

There's an article in the paper today that they are now threatening forclosure for non-compliant vacation rentals.

We're bummed because Kailua is our favorite place on Oahu and we were looking forward to sharing it with our guests, but it looks like we'll all end up in Waikiki.

Disappointingly, many vacation rental owners will lie about their legal status. They are NOT legal just because they pay taxes - they must have a TVU or B&B non-conforming use certificate. To determine if a vacation rental is compliant, you can follow the instructions at this site .

I'm not sure what the solution is to this situation, as I live in Kailua and would hate to see my neighborhood overrun by inconsiderate renters. On the other hand, I'm not sure that foreclosing on these properties is the right thing to do. Hopefully a compromise will be found - and soon!

[kimo55]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

I'm not sure what the solution is to this situation, as I live in Kailua and would hate to see my neighborhood overrun by inconsiderate renters.

too late.
Kailua is now overrun with too many people. and they all demand their stores to shop for their familiar products. now kailua is beginning to resemble any other city in the armpit of cali; the valley.
too many people. intersection too fulla inconsiderate honkeys. (people honking their horn) this is a disease i wished for many decades would never be visited upon my hometown.
"we have always been good visitors and neighbors "
in some people's eyes, the only "good visitor and neigbor" are the ones who don't help to overpopulate our small towns.

[Miulang]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

I dunno the solution, but I do know a possible reason for the number of illegal rentals...the overpriced housing market! In order to pay some of those exorbitant mortgages, some people probably rent out ohana units or rooms in their homes to help keep that roof over their heads.

Miulang

[kimo55]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

and it is the demand. so many people wanting to come to our islands.

"oh, Hawaii is calling to me!"
it ain't for the better. time was, you walk along Mokulua and people would exhibit the usual friendliness and neighboorly acknowledgements. Now, they walk briskly, pushing their brat's pram, with skrunched up faces, furrowed brow, and ignore each person passing by.

[Miulang]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

and it is the demand. so many people wanting to come to our islands.

"oh, Hawaii is calling to me!"
it ain't for the better. time was, you walk along Mokulua and people would exhibit the usual friendliness and neighboorly acknowledgements. Now, they walk briskly, pushing their brat's pram, with skrunched up faces, furrowed brow, and ignore each person passing by.

Yeah, but the way development is running rampant in some parts of the islands, pretty soon people won't want to visit Hawai'i.

TOURIST to tourguide: "How come I don't see any palm trees like I saw on TV?"

GUIDE: "Well, m'am, we had to cut them all down to build that swell condotel you're staying in."

Miulang

[kimo55]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

yep. although it is straying form the topic, I will mention throughout waikiki, there were many coconut trees all along kalakaua. fronting cool old buildings of every tropical type set back from the sidewalks. Now, it's all paved over with beverly hills looking storefronts. and all palms cut down. Time was, you could see the Royal Hawaiian from kalakaua. and Kamehameha's coconut grove. Coconut trees decimated and a big ugly bunker of a building erected there. additionally, the japanese corporate owner of the Royal Hawaiian want to cut down the remaining coconut trees on the property. Why?! cuz they cause to much debris. How's that for instilling a sense of place? which is what our polititians and the Waikiki improvement assoc. says is happening.

[LikaNui]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

Time was, you could see the Royal Hawaiian from kalakaua. and Kamehameha's coconut grove. Coconut trees decimated and a big ugly bunker of a building erected there.

Yep. I remember back in the early 1960s being at the Royal Hawaiian and looking out at Kalakaua through the beautiful gardens that used to be where that darned shopping center is located now.
"Progress"? Pfffbbbttt.
See the 1956 photo at http://ilind.net/oldkine_images/old-...urce/beach.htm .

[Powell]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

Illegal vacation rentals and B&B’s are being shut down because they are illegal!!!

They are illegal because the majority of residents of Oahu in 1989 determined vacation rentals and B&B’s in residential neighborhoods cause more harm than good. Most Oahu residents living in residential-zone neighborhoods want to live next to neighbors, not visitor lodging businesses.

The reason why the law is being enforced now is because we have a new administration at City hall (Mayor Hannemann) that believes in following the law. The previous corrupt (Mayor Harris) administration directed inspectors to turn a blind-eye toward violators. Illegal vacation rentals and B&B’s sprouted up like weeds in numerous residential neighborhoods.

Our residential communities have finally gotten to point where they are sick and tired of it and are taking action. The Neighborhood Community Boards of Kailua, Waianae, North Shore, Kahala, Waimanalo and Lanikai have all passed resolutions demanding the City shut down all illegal vacation rentals. In addition, numerous community grassroots organizations have gotten involved in assisting the City in shutting down the illegal businesses. Vacation rentals and B&B’s may be a good thing for tourist and mainland investors, but they are not good for local residents.

In addition to changing the residential character of a neighborhood, illegal vacation rentals are also contributing to our current housing and long-term rental shortage. Vacation rentals and B&B’s are not homes, they are businesses. Investors can generate revenue and profit from them, which gives them a competitive edge over local residents who are going to use them as their residence. The second home market is the hottest segment of Hawaii’s residential real estate. Mainland investors are buying up many of our homes. By allowing them to operate illegal businesses, we are just fueling this boom and making it harder for local people to own a home!

[tikiyaki]

Re: what's the deal with illegal vacation rentals?

too late.
Kailua is now overrun with too many people. and they all demand their stores to shop for their familiar products. now kailua is beginning to resemble any other city in the armpit of cali; the valley.

Watch what you say about the valley...some of us live in that so-called "armpit". I've seen some really armpit-like neighborhoods in your aloha state too, chief.

Either way, it sucks that the owners are getting cracked down on in kailua, I planned on staying there later this year when I come back for another visit.