Advocacy News

After years of advocacy, SB 53 – the Hotel Safety Act became law last week. On behalf of hotel owners across the state, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA), alongside the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) led efforts to clarify when a hotel guest has rights under the landlord-tenant act. “NCRLA worked directly with business owners, legislators, and Governor Cooper’s senior policy advisers to advocate ...

On Wednesday, March 15, AAHOA Members and local hoteliers visited the Arkansas State Capitol to lobby against Senate Bill 197 , which would take away the ability of local governments to regulate short-term rental properties like Airbnb and VRBO houses. In his testimony in front of the Arkansas House City, County, Local Affairs Committee, Danny Patel, Arkansas Regional Director, explained how the bill is unfair to the hotel industry. He ...

On Friday, March 17, North Carolina Governor Cooper allowed SB 53: Hotel Safety Issues to become law without his signature. The new law indicates that landlord-tenant rules, which make it more difficult to remove an occupant, don't apply when a person is staying at a hotel, motel, or RV park for fewer than 90 consecutive days. “This is great news. NCRLA and AAHOA worked closely on this legislation and issued a joint call to action ...

AAHOA and more than 70 trade groups sent a letter to leaders on the Budget Committee and Ways and Means Committee as they consider the Biden administration’s recently released budget. In the letter, the trade groups noted that the budget proposes more than $4 trillion in tax hikes, targeting businesses responsible for jobs and coming at a time when federal tax collections are at record levels. The trade groups are concerned that their members, ...

On Wednesday, March 1, the first day of Women’s History Month, AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake met with elected officials on Capitol Hill to discuss the association’s 2023 policy priorities, including: Increase SBA loan limit amounts: Many hoteliers make use of SBA 7(a) and 504 loans to help finance the new construction or purchase of their hotel properties. Since the value of the hotels is significantly higher than current ...