John Benjamin

Hello-- I am writing to oppose HB1580. I feel this bill would be detrimental to those of us who own and use our homes at times for short term rentals. A few years ago we decided to purchase a seasonal home in the lakes region because we simply love the area and always have enjoyed our time there. The one thing we noticed in coming up there was the shortage of hotels and other "traditional" places to stay for lodging. So we would always rent a home for our stay. In deciding to purchase, we also knew we would have to rent it out sporadically in order to pay for the mortgage and other bills associated with owning a second home. Since the home is seasonal, we decided to try short term rentals. The feedback, and experience, were both amazing. We were able to rent our house out to others who also enjoyed the area as much as we did. This allowed us to employ fellow New Hampshire residents as we needed a cleaning crew, handyman, and landscapers, etc. which we were thrilled about as we love bringing jobs to small business owners. In addition, we knew that by having short term renters, we would also be bringing customers to other small business owners such as restaurants, bars, shops, etc. It was a total win-win for both us and the town. Also, since we are paying meals and room taxes to the state, we knew we would be assisting on that level as well. A year after starting this, we decided to purchase a second home with the same goals. We were fortunate enough to have success in this venture as well, and we were able to bring even more renters (and their money) to the state as well. Now with two homes, we knew we had a great start to a small business of our own!. Knowing we needed to be close to our two New Hampshire houses, we took the plunge and relocated up to New Hampshire to become full time residents as well! We have loved every second of living here and being close to our small business. Without the ability to rent these houses out as short-term rentals, our dreams would not have come true. Should this bill pass and assess a surcharge on our market value, we fear that our dream, and small business, may be coming to an end as they will be very, very financially restrictive for us. It is with all of our heart and mind that we hope this restrictive bill does not pass. We feel that our business is not only an asset for ourselves, but also one for the state. The benefits of bringing in people to the area, who may not have chosen to vacation here without being able to rent a home, as well as bringing extra customer to local small business owners, is very vital for both us, the town we own in, and the wonderful state of New Hampshire. Thank you for your time John Benjamin, proud NH state resident.