Hawaii B&B discrimination lawsuit

[Tom]

This was on AP yesterday.
Hawaii B&B discrimination lawsuit

 

[JBloggs]

Touchy subject, please tread lightly.

 

[Joey Camb]

I would also point out from the article they wern't a liscenced or permitted B&B either! I am on a rant about this as saw a tweet to an article today that said more people are looking to rent rooms in houses as an alternative to hotels. This makes me really angry as in the UK now no matter how small you are you have to have the appropriate fire precautions, insurance and risk assessments. I guarantee these places dont. It hacks me off as all of us have to jump through fricking hoops and so these illegal places are cheaper because they don't have to. And last but not least I am seeing red about the governments proposals to relax these regulations for the olympics to help with the accommodation shortage in London, therefore at a time when london is bulging with people we are going to relax fire regulations are we? great. Also I can guarantee these people's home insurance doesnt cover them if anything goes walkabout either!

 

[Generic]

Same discrimination policies seem to repeat over and over again. No one seems to learn, if you want to discriminate, then running a B&B doesn't seem to be the proper vocation.

 

[Joey Camb]

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=69209
Just had this tweeted to me am absolutely steaming with anger! just sand your window sils and put a lock on the bathroom door and you are ready to do B&B at home!!!!! this is fricking illegal in this country you need
1- public liability insurance
2- risk assessments
3- fire doors into all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as minimum
Sent a really angry email with the gove regs attached and said they should be very careful of what they are advocating as it is illegal if they don't comply with the other regulations. Am on a roll about this as it undercuts us people who play by the rules as we have to pay out for expensive fire alarms, servicing etc and the don't.

 

[Tom]

Touchy subject, please tread lightly..

That's why we are here on the forum, JB. This article isn't about politics or religion, it is about bigotry and a possible adverse perception of our industry. Cranky, intolerant, or prejudgemental people should not be running a B&B open to the public.

 

[gillumhouse]

Stupidity and a loose tongue = ka-ching!

 

[gillumhouse]

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=69209
Just had this tweeted to me am absolutely steaming with anger! just sand your window sils and put a lock on the bathroom door and you are ready to do B&B at home!!!!! this is fricking illegal in this country you need
1- public liability insurance
2- risk assessments
3- fire doors into all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as minimum
Sent a really angry email with the gove regs attached and said they should be very careful of what they are advocating as it is illegal if they don't comply with the other regulations. Am on a roll about this as it undercuts us people who play by the rules as we have to pay out for expensive fire alarms, servicing etc and the don't..

I agree with you - this article is asinine. Just open your doors and invite them in - and while you are at it you had best pray they are not thieves, total slobs, drunks, junkies, lawsuits waiting to happen, etc. Real accommodations have enough problems with this and at least have taken the precautions that just a homeowner will not have thought of.

 

[Madeleine]

Golly, I wouldn't have any business if I turned away unmarried couples. And I certainly don't ask if guests are married or anything else about their relationship. We get so many guests who just want to save money by not taking 2 rooms. I can imagine my occupancy dropping severely if I started asking if they were in a sexual relationship!

 

[Copperhead]

Golly, I wouldn't have any business if I turned away unmarried couples. And I certainly don't ask if guests are married or anything else about their relationship. We get so many guests who just want to save money by not taking 2 rooms. I can imagine my occupancy dropping severely if I started asking if they were in a sexual relationship!.

Golly, I wouldn't have any business if I turned away unmarried couples. And I certainly don't ask if guests are married or anything else about their relationship. We get so many guests who just want to save money by not taking 2 rooms. I can imagine my occupancy dropping severely if I started asking if they were in a sexual relationship!

Me either - I won't go there! But I have had issues regarding booking when 2 people of the same sex book a room with one bed. The issue is not MY issue, but theirs when they arrive and see only one bed and they expected separate beds and think I should have notified them. They book online, can read the details of the room they book, their problem not mine!

 

[Happy Keeper]

Touchy subject, please tread lightly..

Touchy subject??? How exactly is discrimination by an innkeeper a touchy subject? The last thing we need to do is put a veil over the very important issues around our responsibilities in serving the public.

 

[InnBloom]

Golly, I wouldn't have any business if I turned away unmarried couples. And I certainly don't ask if guests are married or anything else about their relationship. We get so many guests who just want to save money by not taking 2 rooms. I can imagine my occupancy dropping severely if I started asking if they were in a sexual relationship!.

Golly, I wouldn't have any business if I turned away unmarried couples. And I certainly don't ask if guests are married or anything else about their relationship. We get so many guests who just want to save money by not taking 2 rooms. I can imagine my occupancy dropping severely if I started asking if they were in a sexual relationship!

Me either - I won't go there! But I have had issues regarding booking when 2 people of the same sex book a room with one bed. The issue is not MY issue, but theirs when they arrive and see only one bed and they expected separate beds and think I should have notified them. They book online, can read the details of the room they book, their problem not mine!
.

I hear ya, Copperhead. In the past, I've wondered, when it's two male names, or two female names, if they think it's like a hotel room that will have 2 Queen beds. Never knew quite what to say to make SURE they knew there was only one bed so that didn't arise on check-in.
But now my website not only has amazingly accurate photos but also amazingly accurate text....so I figure if someone books online and then is surprised, shame on them for not paying attention. (and in reality, it never was a problem---they always had only been expecting one bed, just hadn't thought they needed to explain themselves to me---and I agree!)

 

[Highlands John]

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=69209
Just had this tweeted to me am absolutely steaming with anger! just sand your window sils and put a lock on the bathroom door and you are ready to do B&B at home!!!!! this is fricking illegal in this country you need
1- public liability insurance
2- risk assessments
3- fire doors into all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as minimum
Sent a really angry email with the gove regs attached and said they should be very careful of what they are advocating as it is illegal if they don't comply with the other regulations. Am on a roll about this as it undercuts us people who play by the rules as we have to pay out for expensive fire alarms, servicing etc and the don't..

Just had this tweeted to me am absolutely steaming with anger! just sand your window sils and put a lock on the bathroom door and you are ready to do B&B at home!!!!! this is fricking illegal in this country you need
1- public liability insurance
2- risk assessments
3- fire doors into all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as minimum

Are you sure about that Camberley? I'm pretty sure that in Scotland (and I think the UK) as long as you have 6 guests or less at a time you count as a B&B and your property still counts as a domestic residence, not a business property, so you don't need fire doors etc or public liability insurance. You only need all 3 if you have more than six guests at a time and then you become a guest house and business property.
A couple of years ago the Scottish goverment brought in law that all B&Bs had to meet the same fire regulations as guest houses and hotels. There were many complaints from B&B owners about having to have firedoors in their homes and after much wrangling the Scottish government decided not to enforce the law while they went through a consultation process. I've not heard any more since.

 

[Joey Camb]

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=69209
Just had this tweeted to me am absolutely steaming with anger! just sand your window sils and put a lock on the bathroom door and you are ready to do B&B at home!!!!! this is fricking illegal in this country you need
1- public liability insurance
2- risk assessments
3- fire doors into all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as minimum
Sent a really angry email with the gove regs attached and said they should be very careful of what they are advocating as it is illegal if they don't comply with the other regulations. Am on a roll about this as it undercuts us people who play by the rules as we have to pay out for expensive fire alarms, servicing etc and the don't..

Just had this tweeted to me am absolutely steaming with anger! just sand your window sils and put a lock on the bathroom door and you are ready to do B&B at home!!!!! this is fricking illegal in this country you need
1- public liability insurance
2- risk assessments
3- fire doors into all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as minimum

Are you sure about that Camberley? I'm pretty sure that in Scotland (and I think the UK) as long as you have 6 guests or less at a time you count as a B&B and your property still counts as a domestic residence, not a business property, so you don't need fire doors etc or public liability insurance. You only need all 3 if you have more than six guests at a time and then you become a guest house and business property.
A couple of years ago the Scottish goverment brought in law that all B&Bs had to meet the same fire regulations as guest houses and hotels. There were many complaints from B&B owners about having to have firedoors in their homes and after much wrangling the Scottish government decided not to enforce the law while they went through a consultation process. I've not heard any more since.
.

It may be different in scotland but I was told by the fire brigade that they expected as a minimum that even if you just did B&B in one room and occasionally that you should have fire doors to all corridors and a wired in smoke alarm as a minimum, and that was this year. Also that you should have done a risk assessment though if you do not have employees you don't need to have a written one but if you don't write it down you have to be able to say it if asked which seems harder than writing it down and showing it. I personally think that is a bit much but I feel if it is the law and a hoop (and a very expensive one at that) then it should apply to everyone equally. I do feel it is in contradiction with the UK's rent a room idea but that is legal if you are simply taking in a lodger but even now if you take in a lodger but have 3 or more stories then you are subject to HMO regulations! However the government is looking at the red tape for accommodation providers right now so this may change.
My point would also be do they have insurance for any accidents etc I doubt it, if anything gets knicked do you think they will be covered? It will be cases of people who end up with situations like that air B&B case all over. They won't be able to process credit cards no security and the list of potential problems is endless. This is why is gets my goat that a power tool company is handing out advice!!!! I would also point out that it will give these places an unfair advantage over registered places as they won't have these other expenses to deal with and build into their prices. I won't really affect me as there is virtually no chance that I will make any business out of the olympics but I feel the law should be applied equally.