HONOLULU (AP) — A group that advocates for the vacation rental industry has filed a lawsuit against the city of Honolulu over the way it enforces its bans on certain bed-and-breakfasts and transient vacation rental units.
HONOLULU (AP) — A group that advocates for the vacation rental industry has filed a lawsuit against the city of Honolulu over the way it enforces its bans on certain bed-and-breakfasts and transient vacation rental units.
Kokua Coalition, which does business as Hawaii Vacation Rental Owners Association, filed the suit Monday in U.S. District Court, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports.
The coalition alleges that city ordinances regarding enforcement of the bans on vacation rental units are unconstitutional. The suit says the laws force property owners to prove they are not violating city code, rather than require the city to show that property owners are in violation.
The group also accuses Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting employees of trespassing during investigations into alleged zoning violations.
According to the lawsuit, investigators from the department have entered private property from public beaches, walked onto and around dwellings and climbed over or entered through closed gates without permission or search warrants.
The city declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
Kokua Coalition’s stated purpose is to lobby and educate government officials, property owners, vendors and the public about the vacation rental industry. The group says its members offer their properties to rent for short-term periods and pay state transient accommodation and general excise taxes.