When Tenant Unions Speak Up — Here is Why Mom & Pop Housing Providers Should, Too

Hawaiʻi is once again in the spotlight after the shocking revelations of intolerable living conditions at 1136 Union Mall (known as “Union Plaza”) — a building converted from offices to residential suites, allegedly without proper permits, safety or habitability standards. As detailed by a recent commentary, tenants endured utility shut-offs, unlicensed security, intimidation and potential retaliatory evictions. No one disputes that these conditions are unacceptable — they demand accountability, enforcement, and justice for tenants who faced what many called a “hell-hole.” (Honolulu Civil Beat)

But as Hawaii Rental Housing Providers Alliance (HRHPA), leaders of an association representing mom-and-pop rental housing providers — everyday Hawaiʻi families and small rental housing providers — we see dangerous policy implications behind the rallying cry for tenant-union power, rent stabilization, and elimination of “arbitrary” lease non-renewal. Read More.

Hawaii Landlord / Tenant News