Council to consider regulating vacation rentals

[PaulW]

Price fixing by who?

[Chunkster]

Splitting hairs here, but I'd call it more market manipulation than price fixing. By dramatically reducing the potential for new (or even existing) rentals, the market value of the remaining ones would naturally tend to increase. Price fixing usually implies suppliers of goods or services conspiring to set prices higher than normal market conditions would produce. Either way, it's unethical in all cases and illegal in many. Add in the political component of a council person, Eoff, feathering her own nest by legislating market restrictions, and you might have the material for just what we need, one more lawsuit to clog the local courts. But of course it's all OK because our "ethics commission" says so.

[PaulW]

I see. In that case you would think existing owners should be in favor of this legislation (they'll probably be grandfathered in) but I'm not seeing that happening. Some people actually think about what's good for Hawaii/Puna and not just themselves, but apparently this doesn't include politicians.

[leilanidude]

In that case you would think existing owners should be in favor of this legislation (they'll probably be grandfathered in) but I'm not seeing that happening.
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The problem is the way the legislation is written, if you ever don't pay the annual fee, etc (maybe you just want a year or two break from or you want to sell the place) you lose the ability to ever be a vacation rental again. That loss of being a vacation rental just because you sell it, does not apply to those rentals int he resort districts!

[kalakoa]

dramatically reducing the potential for new (or even existing) rentals

No different than County dragging everything through permit hell as a way of "managing" growth.

There's an old saying: lead growth gently by the hand before it takes you by the throat. No resort zoning in Puna, where are the tourists going to stay?

It's especially ironic that vacation rentals are currently not illegal due to an oversight in the land-use regulations.

[kalakoa]

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/201...ld-report/

On Tuesday, U.S. News & World Report named Hawaii's southernmost island the 2018-19 Best Winter Vacation spot in the world, beating out 19 other locales on the list of the top 20 global destinations.

[dan d]

See ,even with a volcano in our front yard,and a bunch of hurricanes and 40 inch rain storm, we are da best. Lets get puna back on a roll. Demand it from your reps,dont ask for it.
Aloha


HPP