If the American dream is a two-story Georgian with a white-picket fence, then the Hawaiian dream is a beachside bungalow with a thatched roof.
Don Ho and Hollywood did a damn good job of selling the Polynesian paradise–who wouldn’t want to be greeted by a pretty girl with a lei and a mai tai? But visions of tiki bars and flowery shirts make us forget that wait, people actually live there. Full time.
In Honolulu, the city council will consider this week whether to allow new b&b licenses to be issued following a 20-year freeze, according to the Honolulu Advertiser. It seems that lots of Hawaii vacation rental owners were listing their properties illegally, and the residents were not happy about it. As many as 1,900 homes were operating without permits, the newspaper reported.
In a state whose financial health depends on a steady stream of tourists, the practice isn’t a surprise, but something’s got to give for the local taxpayers who argue that their communities are being disrupted by noisy transients.
And now you have the podium. Honolulu landlords, how do you feel about the issue? Locals, what’s a resolution that everyone can live with, while still allowing for revenue to be pumped into the Hawaiian economy? Talk to me on Twitter @ checkincheckout.
