Those looking to buy a house in the island paradise of Hawaii can sleep a little bit easier now that real estate transactions must include disclosures about the risk of sea level rise (SLR) to the property.
The Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation & Adaption Commission recently identified the requirements in a flyer that also gives background information on the new requirement, along with guidance to the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Viewer, a news release from the governor’s office said.
“Recent news of the North Shore home collapse highlights the real risks to oceanfront properties due to climate change,” Suzanne Case, co-chair of the commission, said in the release. She referred to an incident that occurred earlier this year in which a house on Oahu’s North Shore collapsed, an event blamed on sea encroachment.
“Unfortunately, this may happen again, it’s a dangerous situation — and demonstrates the necessity for disclosing this kind of information,” Case said.
The SLR disclosures follow the model set up by the National Flood Insurance Program, the release said. Its goal is to help prospective home buyers understand how rising sea levels could affect their properties.
The requirement to disclose SLR risk applies to oceanfront and near-oceanfront properties, properties that are close to streams, or properties in any other areas that would likely flood during heavy rainfall.
The new regulations went into effect on May 1.
