Your article, “Isle B&Bs, vacation rentals see double-digit growth,” (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 22), gave precise figures for 2017: 531,880 tourists staying entirely in rental properties. How are those figures calculated?

It is common knowledge that there are thousands of illegal vacation rentals on the island. I’m sure the owners don’t pay taxes on their rentals. How can anyone know how many there are?

The vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods have a negative effect on the economy and, even worse, they ruin the character of the neighborhood for the residents who live there.

Bob Karman

Hawaii Kai

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