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As a resident of the Waikiki apartment district, I ask the City Council to pass Bill 89 to better regulate illegal short-term rentals (STRs).
STRs must have nonconforming-use certificates (NUCs) to operate legally in the apartment district.
My building is full of STRs, and not one of them has a NUC.
The building, zoned as a multifamily dwelling, is more like an illegal hotel. Residents, the condo board and the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) tried to get control over STRs, but STR owners threatened us all with harassment lawsuits and worse.
None of these STR owners live in the building (some not even in the state), yet they have now taken over the board and will be even more STR-friendly.
The DPP and residents of buildings where STRs are illegal need the investigative and enforcement tools that Bill 89 provides. Please help us reclaim our homes.
Scott Robertson
Waikiki
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