Amorette O'Brien

Dear Members of the New Hampshire House Ways and Means Committee, My name is Amorette O’Brien, and I am a New Hampshire resident and homeowner. My family owns and lives in our primary residence here in New Hampshire. We also own a second home in New Hampshire that we personally use and responsibly rent on a short-term basis when we are not there. We chose to invest here—twice—because we believe in this state. Our second home was not a speculative purchase. It was a deliberate decision to put our savings into New Hampshire, maintain a property with care, contribute to the local economy, and create long-term financial stability for our family. Like many residents, we saw responsible homeownership as a way to support our future while continuing to support the communities we love. The bills currently before you—HB1068, HB1580, and HB1707—put that investment, and others like it, at serious risk. When people hear “short-term rental,” they often picture large investors or out-of-state corporations. That is not who we are. We are a New Hampshire family who pays property taxes on two homes, meals and rooms taxes on rentals, insurance, utilities, maintenance costs, and higher operating expenses than a primary residence alone requires. We hire local cleaners, snow removal services, plumbers, electricians, and tradespeople. The money we earn does not leave the state—it circulates within it. HB1580, which would impose a surcharge on non-primary residences valued over $500,000, does not distinguish between large-scale investors and middle-class families. In today’s housing market, many modest homes in New Hampshire exceed that threshold due to rising assessed values, not excess wealth. For families like ours, this surcharge could make hosting financially impossible. HB1707 goes even further by proposing a 100% additional tax on homes deemed “unoccupied” for six months of the year. This definition ignores how second homes are actually used—seasonally, by extended family, or intermittently while being rented and maintained year-round. Doubling property taxes by requiring payment to both the municipality and the state would force many responsible owners to make a hard decision: sell. And when families sell, the buyers are rarely local families. More often, they are well-capitalized, out-of-state corporations that can absorb higher costs, consolidate properties, and extract profit without the same community ties. Ironically, these bills may accelerate the very outcome they claim to prevent. HB1068, which seeks to redefine “hotels” to include short-term rentals, adds confusion where none is needed. Short-term rentals already comply with meals and rooms taxes. Individual homeowners are not hotels. Treating us as such blurs important distinctions and ultimately benefits large hotel corporations—many of them owned outside New Hampshire—at the expense of residents who are already playing by the rules. What is often missing from this conversation is the ripple effect. If families like ours are forced to stop hosting or sell, it is not just homeowners who lose. Local cleaners lose regular income. Contractors lose steady work. Small businesses lose visitors. Towns lose engaged property owners who care deeply about upkeep, safety, and community reputation. These bills would change who gets to own New Hampshire. They send a message that investing locally, maintaining property responsibly, and welcoming visitors is less desirable than corporate ownership and centralized profit. That is not the New Hampshire we believe in, and it is not why we chose to invest here. I support thoughtful, fair policy that addresses housing concerns without punishing responsible residents. HB1068, HB1580, and HB1707 miss that balance and risk long-term harm to families, workers, and communities across the state. I urge you to oppose these bills and consider solutions that protect New Hampshire residents—not push them out. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully, Amorette O’Brien