By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. It is our understanding that if you own a rental and live on the Mainland, you are required by Hawai'i state law to have a local rental agent manage the rental for you.

A. Chapter 521-43(f) of Hawaii Revised Statutes, dealing with rental agreement disclosures, states that the owner/landlord of a property who does not live on the same island must designate an agent who lives there. Staff at the Office of Consumer Protection said that person does not have to be a licensed real estate agent. It could be a relative or acquaintance. In addition, the law states that the tenant must be informed of such an arrangement within 10 days of signing an agreement or a change in status involving an agent. Presumably, the law was established to give renters quick response time to situations in cases involving an absentee landlord.

More on using inactive cellular phones for emergencies, and places that take them for charity purposes:

We suggested in this column that people dispose of old cell phones by turning them in to the businesses where they got them for recycling. Several readers let us know that a cellular phone which is no longer under a cell phone service plan can still be used to call 911.

AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless say no-service phones distributed by them can be used to dial 911 so long as they're charged.

But Georgia Taylor, Northwest region public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, said her company does not recommend the practice. A phone without a plan would not have a telephone number assigned to it, meaning people would not be able to call back the caller.

"If someone truly needs 911, they're most likely going to need a callback number," she said.

Lissa Guild, who handles marketing and public relations for AT&T, also noted that in case of an emergency, "you want to be able to call more than just 911."

AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will take cell phones and either refurbish and donate them to charity or sell them and donate the proceeds to charity.

Another group seeking old cell phones is the Hawai'i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. They can be reached at 832-9316 or at 716 Umi St. in Kalihi. Also, the local chapter of the World Wings International nonprofit organization says CARE USA wants used cell phones. They can be reached at www.careusa.org/donate/docs/donatephone.asp or at (404) 979-9218.

Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:

• e-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

Be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number.