All Forum Posts by: Dede Christensen

Not your typical property described here, but you can divide total cost here by bedroom (divide by 2 for two bedroom house). Utility cost for 4bed 4 bath -with pool, hot tub= $500 water/sewer, $450 electricity (even with photovoltaic), gas-$85, garbage pickup is free in town, in Honolulu. 

Luxury Retreats has no designations but their requirements to list are stringent.

Im not an attorney, so I'm not giving legal advice. I may add this: Tenant will set up a separate utility deposit account of x. Any overage above y (utility bill) will be taken from utility account. If you don't want to set up a utility deposit, then put this in the addendum: Resident must make payment in full to the landlord above the capped utility charges prior to the due date listed on each excess usage bill. Failure of the tenant to pay the excess usage bill by due date can result in the termination of tenant's lease with landlord. Tenant must make payment in full to the landlord prior to due date listed on each bill.

Here is what I found on lease cap: http://howtorentyourhousenow.com/blog/rental-utility-cap-what-is-it-how-can-it-save-me-money/ "The tenant rents a house for $1,000 inclusive with a $200 cap. The tenant puts a deposit of $1000 when renting the place. This means that the Landlord will pay the monthly utility bills up-to $200. If it goes over $200, the Landlord has the right to keep the overage from the deposit money."

Jack Forester the pool and hot tub, garden and fountains (yes, it's a nice pad) all need water. Hint: if tenant cuts water in half, pool equip stops running, $$$$ garden burns up, and water features stop working. Glad there aren't any koi in water features, they would have been dead by now if these tenants were paying the bills.

For residential investment properties, (all res. properties, even if owner is on-island) that would amount to a yearly $3.50 per $1,000 of taxable value, for properties under $500,000. The charge increases to $4.50 for properties valued up to $750,000 and $5.50 for those up to $1 million. Properties valued more than $2 million would pay $7.50 per year per $1,000 of value. On a $2 million house that is an extra $15,000 per year!! Visitor accommodations would pay each year a surcharge amounting to $3 per day for those which charge up to $150 per day. Those charging more than $150 per day would be levied $5 per day SB686 Measure Title: RELATING TO EDUCATION FUNDING. Report Title: Education Surcharge; Residential Investment Properties; Visitor Accommodations Description: Establishes an education surcharge on residential investment properties and visitor accommodations for the purpose of funding education. The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS

@Jack Forester 

"Is this a multiunit on one meter? Just curious why you don't disconnect the utilities for failure to pay (similar to what the utility company would do)"

  The house is a single family house.  I have to consult with Consumer Protection Agency  folks to find out if I can deduct the unpaid utilities from their deposit but I think it is illegal to disconnect the utilities.  Sticky legal stuff we are entering into now. 

@Travis Hughes  Thanks for your reply.

"does your lease have an application of funds clause that specifies that funds received from the tenant will be applied in chronological order to the oldest outstanding charges on their tenant ledger? If so, you would simply apply funds to the utilities bills first, which leaves them delinquent in rent, then you enforce the rent delinquency"..No, I do not have that clause.  Thank youQ 

The tenants won't help. Clean the yard at your expense.

http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/visitor-industry-wary-proposed-education-surcharge $7.50 per 1000 property tax on investment and vacation properties over $2m! This will destroy the Hawaii real estate market!