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Maybe you are already familiar with the 2018 Hawaii Realtor Legislative program. If not here's some info on an aspect of it from the recently released 2018 Hawaii Realtors Legislative Program brochure: One of their actions is to "introduce legislation that clarifies Short-Term Vacation Rentals to address consumer protection through utilizing a real estate salesperson or broker and enforcement of short term vacation rentals (STVR)". Per their legislative program brochure, STVR's have different regulations in each county and challenges in enforcement and oversight besides other issues including enforcement, consumer protection, taxation, and landlord-tenant code. Continuing from the brochure, "Hawaii REALTORS believe a real estate licensee can offer added protections" and thus the initiative to introduce consumer protection legislation for STVRs. My take on the wording is that there will be a proposal to write legislation requiring the use of a licensed Real Estate agent in STVR transactions.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Posts: 14,055
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Note that Ige rejected Airbnb's offer to collect/remit TAT on behalf of the owner.
Airbnb estimates $30M not being collected, of which the Big Island would have received $1.2M.
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"Hawaii REALTORS believe a real estate licensee can offer added protections" Translated: "Show us the MONNEY!!!"
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That's just what's needed, the realtors injecting their own special brand of incompetence and greed into another field.
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Hawaii law already requires a real estate license in some cases :
"Hawaii law requires absent owners use an on-island property manager and have an on-island contact to collect taxes, including transient accommodations and the general excise taxes, according to a brochure from the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The absent owner also has the option of employing a caretaker or custodian who can work for only one owner and perform both functions. If a property manager performs real estate functions such as offering to rent or renting the property, he or she must have a Hawaii real estate license."
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"Rent monies would be collected and placed into a client trust account, providing added accountability." - STVRenters who use VRBO or many other vacation rental services already have this protection.
"They can be a point of contact for the renter residing on the same island as the property. This also means that the renter will have professional help in unforeseen circumstances such as a pipe bursting or an emergency." - Having an on-island contact to help in these types of situations is already a requirement by law.
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Just looks like a way for Realtor’s to make more money. This would only impact those rentals already approved by the County...not the dozens of illegal one’s not paying taxes.
Stacey
Living the life in Cali and Hawai‘i
