Andrei Shesternev

Good day, I am a New Hampshire property owner. I own a vacation home in Campton that my family uses for our own vacations and time out of the city, and we also operate as a short-term rental. We are renting out to help cover the significant costs of maintaining and paying off the property, allowing us to responsibly manage taxes, insurance, and upkeep while also sharing our home with visitors. I respectfully oppose HB 1707. This bill would create a new Unoccupied Housing Tax that requires owners of properties that are either unoccupied for at least six months or used as short-term rentals for at least six months to pay an additional tax equal to all property taxes, fees, and interest owed on the property. This measure would dramatically increase costs for vacation homeowners and short-term rental owners, many of whom use rental income to help pay off and maintain their properties. Short-term rental owners already pay full property taxes, the 8.5% state rental and meals tax, Federal taxes, and this bill adds another imposed tax that is unrelated to increased municipal services. This bill is inequitable and imposes an unexpected, duplicative tax burden on property owners who are already fully compliant with taxes. Many families simply will not be able to absorb this burden, making ownership and responsible maintenance impossible. Vacation homes and short-term rentals generate significant tourism revenue and support local businesses, vendors, workers, and services in communities across the state. Reducing the ability of these owners to continue operating will harm tourism, local spending, and economic vitality. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the Committee to vote ought not to pass on HB 1707. Respectfully submitted,