Bill > HB475

This bill establishes a comprehensive licensing and regulatory framework for association managers who oversee common interest ownership communities in Hawaii, such as homeowners' associations, planned community associations, cooperative housing corporations, and condominium unit owners' associations. Beginning July 1, 2027, all association managers will be required to obtain a license from a newly created Association Manager Licensing Board within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, which will be responsible for establishing licensure requirements, granting or denying licenses, adopting rules, and taking disciplinary action. The bill defines an association manager as a person hired to manage daily operations including budgeting, dues collection, maintenance, site inspections, legal compliance, vendor management, and dispute resolution. The licensing requirement aims to improve the professional standards of community association management, given that approximately 360,000 Hawaii residents (about 25% of the population) live in such communities, often managed by volunteer boards with limited expertise. The board will be composed of experienced association managers and private citizens, and will have the power to develop a code of ethics, promote standardization of long-term maintenance obligations, and establish a recovery fund to compensate individuals harmed by licensed managers' misconduct. Violations of the licensing requirement will be subject to fines, with each day of non-compliance considered a separate offense.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=475&year=2026