I am a opposing on your request to lower the caps represented in STRH's. The facts that this and other things keep coming up about this is absolutely not right. We live in an island where tourist is number income locals like us strive and survive on. Especially with this past year and half with the pandemic, causing so much money lost and damage with the lack of tourist and now finally starting to recover. This is you guys proposal. I think is is so wrong. We need to stand together at this time and help one another to succeed not be hindering one another at our lowest time. We are all humans and need to stick together and help this great community/ Maui county grow again. Please please stop and support the local business in this.
Mahalo!
I support this and anything else that will keep residential areas of Maui for the people of Maui, not tourist. We have hotels, condos, etc where tourists can stay and they are designated as such. When the quality of life for locals are challenged by profit, I have a problem with it. So should you.
Short Term Rentals are causing the over population of rental cars. If Tourist remain in the Hotels or Resort areas there are really no need to rent a car. They have shuttles and buses. The beach is at your door step. Restaurant and stores at these locations. A Hawaiian vacation all in one place. With short term rentals. You have to rent a car. You invade communities. And then you go searching for paradise where you overwhelm the locals. Please place a cap. Send tourist back to the Hotel and resorts.
I oppose limitations on STR's. Many good statement have been made already by the public. I have noticed that when people on Maui run for office one of their tenets is often that they will raise taxes on STR's. The tax rate is now even higher on STR's than it is on hotels. Why is it that Maui Coast Hotel is being given permission to add so many rooms, and new hotels are being approved or considered while at the same time, the small owner is to be limited? I agree with the arguments that state STR's make a great contribution to the local economy and to the fund for low cost housing.
The short term rental properties play a valuable role in the Maui economy. Many have been already metioned. One of the largest being, the amount of money that flows directly back in taxes. This bill makes little sense in what it is trying to accomplish.
I stongly oppose.
Aloha. Too many short rentals is not good for Maui. I own one, so I’m not opposed to the idea of STR, but we risk too much of what makes Maui great if we become “super/saturated “. Project the Loga Spirit, put a lid on it. Many Mahalos.
Richard McMahon
Kam Sands 5-110
Two problems face Maui currently, a shortage of affordable housing and what is being called 'over-tourism'. STVRs are heavily implicated in both problems. While it would seem difficult and unfair to take away permits from people who have gone through all legal permitting processes, the island does not need an increase over current numbers. The County also needs to do a better job at tracking down and eliminating the remaining 200 or so illegal STVRs.
There is a need for current hard data on the ownership of current STVRs: it is my impression relatively few are struggling local residents letting out property to make ends meet. The majority are either investment properties that never house their owners or 'second homes' which by definition are owned and occasionally occupied; either way they contribute to the island accommodation problems.
Tough decisions need to be taken to get the tourism and affordable housing issues under control and this seems an easy first step that does not penalize existing permit holders.
Aloha Committee Chair Tamara Paltin and Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee Members,
I was born and raised here on Maui. I manage my family's vacation rental business which consists of my childhood home in Kihei. We are the original owners of the property since the 80's. Having this business has allowed my father to have a retirement that was comfortable in the place he called home. It also gave him the money to be able to get the medical attention that he needed as he fought cancer. It allows me to work from home and be a stay-at-home mom. The money that is brought into our business is spent here in the local economy. We employ housekeepers, handymen, yard workers, tree trimmers, we participate in a local composting business that picks up our guests waste and then sends fertilizer to local farms, we point our guests in the direction of the Maui Hub to order groceries before they arrive, not to mention all the people we send to locally owned activities, restaurants & cars. We do all that we can to help the island we love and call home.
The sharing economy has become the "enemy" on the island when actually it brings more good than harm.
- Vacation Rentals are the number one source of revenue for Maui County in Real Property Taxes, and has been for the last three years.
- In the fiscal year 2020 about 14 cents of every dollar budgeted in Maui County came from vacation rentals.
- Short-term rental homes make up around 220 homes of the 54,479households on Maui. This is 1 in 248 homes.
- Vacation rentals are also the single biggest contributor to the Affordable Housing Fund for the County of Maui. They have generated $12.8 million for the fund since 2018.
This information should be shared more widely with the local community. I'm sure none of the above information is new to you, but if the residents on the island were made more aware of this information, we wouldn't get the bad name we have in the community.
Yes, the island has become overcrowded with tourism. Yes, our infrastructure can't handle the daily tourist population. But there are bigger problems than vacation rentals.
There are other issues that should be addressed and regulations put in place that will positively impact the Kama'aina population than limiting STR & B&B permits. Just a few ideas (which I am sure you have heard before) are tickets/tolls for the road to Hana, Paid parking lots at the beaches, Local only days at certain beaches, heck maybe even close down each beach a certain day out of the month - Let place like Makena get a break from the sunscreen & abuse once a month, mandate electric cars for all new rental cars brought back to the island, tourism education on the planes regarding wildlife, there are so many ways to deal with the tipping point we are at.
Mahalo for taking the time to listen to this side of the conversation from you constitutes.
We rely on tourism and all the locals who are hard working and go through the process of getting all the right permits and paying there taxes and providing jobs here for other residents of Maui should not be punished. To me it makes no sense . I oppose and hope that theses small businesses and people supporting there family’s and also helping the local economy’s do not get punished. Aloha and mahalo
Aloha Council Members,
First of all stop issuing permits. Figure this out before handing out anymore. Keep the application numbers at what the current existing and pending permits is, as of June 2020. In my area that I live, I see new homeowners trying to get permits and a couple of them illegally trying to do vacation rentals. Some have even bought 2-3 houses in my block alone too, Monopolizing the block. Enough already. How about focusing on how to eliminate the illegal vacation rental industry for good. The state and county want to support tourism, so make the limit so that tourists actually stay at and utilize our hotels, to fill them to max capacity. We have too much local families getting pushed out of home and state. And as far as tourism, and the overwhelming entitled masses that are coming in, how about looking at quality over quantity for them. Mahalo for your time.
My wife and I are local residents of Maui for the last 25 years and both our children were born here. We started in the hotel industry and I became a firefighter 20 years ago for the County of Maui. We invested in our first vacation rental property 20 years ago and now have a number of them including a short term rental permit on our home in Kihei. We survive off the income from our rentals and are able to contribute to the tax base of Maui as well as pay for a children’s education on Maui because of the short term rental permit. The number of short term rentals in the Kihei area has not changed in the last 10 years it has never surpassed 50% of the available permits. The reason for this in my opinion is that it’s very difficult to get a permit in the first place. There is no reason to put a cap on the available permits when they cannot even get to the number that were allowed in the first place. I oppose this Bill please look elsewhere for affordable housing this will not solve the problem. Thank you Steve Farwig
Dear Members of The Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee,
Availability of short term rentals: 1) promotes tourist visits (which are central to the County economy), 2) represents a disproportionately high property tax revenue for the County (in comparison to non-rental properties), 3) adds additional revenue to the County through associated Transient Accommodations Tax, and 4) stimulates the economy by way of rental income being spent to maintain and support the rental industry (cleaning, maintenance, services, etc.) Moreover, properties used for short term rentals are not typically well-suited for affordable housing and are not the solution to the County housing crisis.
Thank you.
Anita
I oppose to lower the caps presented in STRH’s at this time. At least half of these legal permitted homes are owned and run by local residents, like myself, that follow all the strict rules and laws that are attached to the permits.
My neighbors have supported my business from day one, and I have had 0 complaints since 2013 when I was first granted my permit. Neighbors wrote letters on my behalf last year when the planning department held an impromptu meeting to talk about “Phasing out our permits”. Over a hundred folks, including myself, showed up to take a stand.
We are local folks running our small businesses, who retain our permit because we have had no complaints!! If folks have a valid complaint they can either call the planning department or put in a request for service online with the property address that is causing a problem in their neighborhood. It’s very simple if folks just follow through.
I have three part time employees that are all kupuna, and use the money they make to supplement their social security. They are paid 3 x’s as more as at they would make working in any other job, and they appreciate the schedule that is planned in advance. As the permit holder and manager, I’m at the my property twice a week for hours at a time, as I take care of pool and clean up of the yard before my landscaper comes. I clean the property as well. I’m personally there to check in my guests and give them a working tour of the property AND information about how to malama our island. The guest are in immediate contact with me by phone or text if anything arises. I’m not sitting home sipping cocktails as someone mentioned in a past comment. I’m a 20 year resident running my small business that I worked incredibly hard for so I can raise my three children here and hopefully retire at some point in my life. We are a hui of working folks supporting our lives with a viable living wage.
ANY SMALL BUSINESS THAT IS OWNED BY A LOCAL RESIDENT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED NOT TAKEN AWAY!
Most of the folks that stay in my vacation rental are families with young kids. Folks like and appreciate having a kid friendly space where they can put their little ones down for a nap, be close, and enjoy the backyard, but being an ear shot away.
If the neighbors complain to the county, the permit holder will lose his/her permit and not be allowed to renew. The PERMITS are not transferable, so they are not the reason real estate prices are soaring. These are the most regulated vacation rentals and they should be treated with more appreciation. These folks are small business owners paying lots of taxes and following ALL the rules, which there are many.
Your website says:
Short-Term Rental Home (STRH)
Purpose:
The purpose of the Short-Term Rental Home (STRH) Permit is to facilitate the permitting of short-term rental homes in certain areas, subject to appropriate restrictions and standards; to allow for varied accommodations and experiences for visitors while retaining the character of residential neighborhoods; to allow small businesses to benefit from tourism; and generally to implement land use policies consistent with the County of Maui’s General Plan and the State of Hawaii’s land use laws.
In case you have not noticed, homes are being sold at over asking prices, and bought with mostly cash with folks that have been able to relocate causing a “pandemic shift” in our population. I know of a few homes that have been bought sight unseen, and are being used as places for all their family and friends to come visit. What about all the second homes that are used as vacation homes where vacation tax is never collected?
It’s shame that these numbered permits are the low laying fruit that keeps getting picked at when the whole tree is the problem. The planning commission gave the green light for Grand Kamole an upcoming condo-tel, and an expansion of Maui Coast Hotel in the last year.
If these businesses are using million dollar plus homes to generate tax money for us, then let them, as they are not affordable housing, and never will be and are contributing the largest amount to our affordable housing.
The permits are limited, nontransferable to a new owner, and cannot be applied for unless the property is owned for 5 years.
If these are small businesses owned by local people then let them be and let other locals participate, as long as they don’t have complaints.
What business will be discriminated against next because they sell or are involved with tourists?
Which tours should go?
Which restaurants serve too many Mai tai’s outside the hotels and should be phased out?? No really, who's business is on the chopping block next?
The public needs to be better informed on the subject instead of just blaming over tourism on these finite number of permits that are far below the caps originally. There are about 56,000 homes on Maui and these permits represent less than 1% of the homes!!!!!!
I kindly ask you to take in consideration all the testimony given on this subject over the last year, which was heavily weighted against making any changes.
Your MAIN focus should be on creating $200$250K affordable homes and townhomes as this is what our community needs. These homes will not revert back to long- term rentals, as over half are over a million dollars.
In conclusion, any locally owned business should be celebrated, appreciated, and recognized if they are successful at their endeavor while contributing to our community.
To: Tamara Paltin, Chair
Maui County Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee
200 South High Street
Wailuku HI 96793
Re: PLSU 67
Dear Members of The Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee,
Thank you for allowing me to address the proposal to decrease the limit on the number of STRHs allowed in various communities on Maui. I do not feel that doing so is in the best long-term interests of our community.
My understanding is that the main reason for the reduction in the number of permits allowed is in response to the crisis we are seeing on the island with respect to affordable housing. However, reducing the number of permits allowed will do little if anything to alleviate the affordable housing issue. STRHs represent a miniscule proportion of the islands housing stock and the intended consequence of decreasing the number of permits – this housing stock will now become long-term rentals – will have no meaningful overall impact.
The tax rate for STRHs is much higher than the tax rate of other taxable real property and this tax contribution is meaningful to the betterment of our island. I would argue that that the additional taxes from STRHs are a blessing and can be put to good use in the area of developing more affordable housing. Additionally, STRHs typically appeal to a segment of the visitor market Maui should be trying to attract as we seriously consider the future direction of our economy.
If the issue of reducing the STRH cap stems from conditions resulting from noise, parking on streets, etc. from the STRH’s operation then this needs be addressed via the current rules and regulations under the license to ensure that existing and potential STRHs do not upset the quality of life in the neighborhoods they are located in.
I'm firmly against. What many of us don't realize is that expensive housing is a huge problem on the mainland these days as well, even in undesirable areas these days. Shooting ourselves in the foot (head?) isn't the answer to the problem. We need tourism to support jobs period.
I support a cap and lowering short term rentals. Tourism needs to go back into the hotel and resort areas. What I noticed back in October tourist started traveling BUT our family and friends in the Hotel industry were still unemployed. And as the tourist kept coming with Maui reaching overwhelming numbers in March. Our family and friends continue to be unemployed. However the tourist were here. On social media you would read the same inaccurate rhetoric “we need tourists, they pay our bills”. But for many family and friends who weren’t working (still unemployed) NO bills were getting paid from these tourist visiting. But they were still here. And WHY! because of these short term rentals that only benefit owners and maybe cleaners. In addition they take from our resources by finding beaches away from their short term rentals because it’s not located in a resort area. Taking up the parking. Taking up all the spaces at the beach. Causing overwhelming cars parked illegally and crowding our roads. Clogging up the supermarkets. Clogging up the farmers market. These overwhelming number of tourist needs to go back to the Hotels WHERE “they” say they “pay our bills”.
I support lowering the number of legal transient vacation rentals on this island. We need to follow Oahu’s lead during the housing crisis, and suspend all new vacation rentals.
Subject: Testimony - DO NOT lower the current number of operating permits
Dear Council Members:
I write to urge NOT to lower the current number of operating permits any further. Here are a few major points.
- Short term rentals in Maui County support our local economy by providing jobs, income and opportunities for local people to earn a living wage in an expensive economy. - Because short term rentals are spread throughout the County, it keeps traffic patterns free and flowing (rather than bottle necking) in high tourist areas.
- When residents make money on the island, that money stays on the island rather than going to corporate headquarters out of state.
- Offering different types of accommodations for different types of travelers, makes Maui a desirable vacation locale for the majority of travelers--no matter what type of accomodation they choose--it keeps our economy strong.
Thank you for your support.
- Stefano Maffini
Pu'u Koa Palms Vacations Rentals
48 and 52 Puu Koa Pl.
Haiku, Hi 96708
www.puukoapalms.com
Aloha council members,
I am a opposing on your request to lower the caps represented in STRH's. The facts that this and other things keep coming up about this is absolutely not right. We live in an island where tourist is number income locals like us strive and survive on. Especially with this past year and half with the pandemic, causing so much money lost and damage with the lack of tourist and now finally starting to recover. This is you guys proposal. I think is is so wrong. We need to stand together at this time and help one another to succeed not be hindering one another at our lowest time. We are all humans and need to stick together and help this great community/ Maui county grow again. Please please stop and support the local business in this.
Mahalo!
I support this and anything else that will keep residential areas of Maui for the people of Maui, not tourist. We have hotels, condos, etc where tourists can stay and they are designated as such. When the quality of life for locals are challenged by profit, I have a problem with it. So should you.
Short Term Rentals are causing the over population of rental cars. If Tourist remain in the Hotels or Resort areas there are really no need to rent a car. They have shuttles and buses. The beach is at your door step. Restaurant and stores at these locations. A Hawaiian vacation all in one place. With short term rentals. You have to rent a car. You invade communities. And then you go searching for paradise where you overwhelm the locals. Please place a cap. Send tourist back to the Hotel and resorts.
I oppose limitations on STR's. Many good statement have been made already by the public. I have noticed that when people on Maui run for office one of their tenets is often that they will raise taxes on STR's. The tax rate is now even higher on STR's than it is on hotels. Why is it that Maui Coast Hotel is being given permission to add so many rooms, and new hotels are being approved or considered while at the same time, the small owner is to be limited? I agree with the arguments that state STR's make a great contribution to the local economy and to the fund for low cost housing.
The short term rental properties play a valuable role in the Maui economy. Many have been already metioned. One of the largest being, the amount of money that flows directly back in taxes. This bill makes little sense in what it is trying to accomplish.
I stongly oppose.
Aloha. Too many short rentals is not good for Maui. I own one, so I’m not opposed to the idea of STR, but we risk too much of what makes Maui great if we become “super/saturated “. Project the Loga Spirit, put a lid on it. Many Mahalos.
Richard McMahon
Kam Sands 5-110
Two problems face Maui currently, a shortage of affordable housing and what is being called 'over-tourism'. STVRs are heavily implicated in both problems. While it would seem difficult and unfair to take away permits from people who have gone through all legal permitting processes, the island does not need an increase over current numbers. The County also needs to do a better job at tracking down and eliminating the remaining 200 or so illegal STVRs.
There is a need for current hard data on the ownership of current STVRs: it is my impression relatively few are struggling local residents letting out property to make ends meet. The majority are either investment properties that never house their owners or 'second homes' which by definition are owned and occasionally occupied; either way they contribute to the island accommodation problems.
Tough decisions need to be taken to get the tourism and affordable housing issues under control and this seems an easy first step that does not penalize existing permit holders.
Aloha Committee Chair Tamara Paltin and Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee Members,
I was born and raised here on Maui. I manage my family's vacation rental business which consists of my childhood home in Kihei. We are the original owners of the property since the 80's. Having this business has allowed my father to have a retirement that was comfortable in the place he called home. It also gave him the money to be able to get the medical attention that he needed as he fought cancer. It allows me to work from home and be a stay-at-home mom. The money that is brought into our business is spent here in the local economy. We employ housekeepers, handymen, yard workers, tree trimmers, we participate in a local composting business that picks up our guests waste and then sends fertilizer to local farms, we point our guests in the direction of the Maui Hub to order groceries before they arrive, not to mention all the people we send to locally owned activities, restaurants & cars. We do all that we can to help the island we love and call home.
The sharing economy has become the "enemy" on the island when actually it brings more good than harm.
- Vacation Rentals are the number one source of revenue for Maui County in Real Property Taxes, and has been for the last three years.
- In the fiscal year 2020 about 14 cents of every dollar budgeted in Maui County came from vacation rentals.
- Short-term rental homes make up around 220 homes of the 54,479households on Maui. This is 1 in 248 homes.
- Vacation rentals are also the single biggest contributor to the Affordable Housing Fund for the County of Maui. They have generated $12.8 million for the fund since 2018.
This information should be shared more widely with the local community. I'm sure none of the above information is new to you, but if the residents on the island were made more aware of this information, we wouldn't get the bad name we have in the community.
Yes, the island has become overcrowded with tourism. Yes, our infrastructure can't handle the daily tourist population. But there are bigger problems than vacation rentals.
There are other issues that should be addressed and regulations put in place that will positively impact the Kama'aina population than limiting STR & B&B permits. Just a few ideas (which I am sure you have heard before) are tickets/tolls for the road to Hana, Paid parking lots at the beaches, Local only days at certain beaches, heck maybe even close down each beach a certain day out of the month - Let place like Makena get a break from the sunscreen & abuse once a month, mandate electric cars for all new rental cars brought back to the island, tourism education on the planes regarding wildlife, there are so many ways to deal with the tipping point we are at.
Mahalo for taking the time to listen to this side of the conversation from you constitutes.
I respectfully oppose,
We rely on tourism and all the locals who are hard working and go through the process of getting all the right permits and paying there taxes and providing jobs here for other residents of Maui should not be punished. To me it makes no sense . I oppose and hope that theses small businesses and people supporting there family’s and also helping the local economy’s do not get punished. Aloha and mahalo
Aloha Council Members,
First of all stop issuing permits. Figure this out before handing out anymore. Keep the application numbers at what the current existing and pending permits is, as of June 2020. In my area that I live, I see new homeowners trying to get permits and a couple of them illegally trying to do vacation rentals. Some have even bought 2-3 houses in my block alone too, Monopolizing the block. Enough already. How about focusing on how to eliminate the illegal vacation rental industry for good. The state and county want to support tourism, so make the limit so that tourists actually stay at and utilize our hotels, to fill them to max capacity. We have too much local families getting pushed out of home and state. And as far as tourism, and the overwhelming entitled masses that are coming in, how about looking at quality over quantity for them. Mahalo for your time.
Aloha planning commission members,
My wife and I are local residents of Maui for the last 25 years and both our children were born here. We started in the hotel industry and I became a firefighter 20 years ago for the County of Maui. We invested in our first vacation rental property 20 years ago and now have a number of them including a short term rental permit on our home in Kihei. We survive off the income from our rentals and are able to contribute to the tax base of Maui as well as pay for a children’s education on Maui because of the short term rental permit. The number of short term rentals in the Kihei area has not changed in the last 10 years it has never surpassed 50% of the available permits. The reason for this in my opinion is that it’s very difficult to get a permit in the first place. There is no reason to put a cap on the available permits when they cannot even get to the number that were allowed in the first place. I oppose this Bill please look elsewhere for affordable housing this will not solve the problem. Thank you Steve Farwig
Re: PLSU 67
Dear Members of The Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee,
Availability of short term rentals: 1) promotes tourist visits (which are central to the County economy), 2) represents a disproportionately high property tax revenue for the County (in comparison to non-rental properties), 3) adds additional revenue to the County through associated Transient Accommodations Tax, and 4) stimulates the economy by way of rental income being spent to maintain and support the rental industry (cleaning, maintenance, services, etc.) Moreover, properties used for short term rentals are not typically well-suited for affordable housing and are not the solution to the County housing crisis.
Thank you.
Anita
Aloha Council members:
I oppose to lower the caps presented in STRH’s at this time. At least half of these legal permitted homes are owned and run by local residents, like myself, that follow all the strict rules and laws that are attached to the permits.
My neighbors have supported my business from day one, and I have had 0 complaints since 2013 when I was first granted my permit. Neighbors wrote letters on my behalf last year when the planning department held an impromptu meeting to talk about “Phasing out our permits”. Over a hundred folks, including myself, showed up to take a stand.
We are local folks running our small businesses, who retain our permit because we have had no complaints!! If folks have a valid complaint they can either call the planning department or put in a request for service online with the property address that is causing a problem in their neighborhood. It’s very simple if folks just follow through.
I have three part time employees that are all kupuna, and use the money they make to supplement their social security. They are paid 3 x’s as more as at they would make working in any other job, and they appreciate the schedule that is planned in advance. As the permit holder and manager, I’m at the my property twice a week for hours at a time, as I take care of pool and clean up of the yard before my landscaper comes. I clean the property as well. I’m personally there to check in my guests and give them a working tour of the property AND information about how to malama our island. The guest are in immediate contact with me by phone or text if anything arises. I’m not sitting home sipping cocktails as someone mentioned in a past comment. I’m a 20 year resident running my small business that I worked incredibly hard for so I can raise my three children here and hopefully retire at some point in my life. We are a hui of working folks supporting our lives with a viable living wage.
ANY SMALL BUSINESS THAT IS OWNED BY A LOCAL RESIDENT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED NOT TAKEN AWAY!
Most of the folks that stay in my vacation rental are families with young kids. Folks like and appreciate having a kid friendly space where they can put their little ones down for a nap, be close, and enjoy the backyard, but being an ear shot away.
If the neighbors complain to the county, the permit holder will lose his/her permit and not be allowed to renew. The PERMITS are not transferable, so they are not the reason real estate prices are soaring. These are the most regulated vacation rentals and they should be treated with more appreciation. These folks are small business owners paying lots of taxes and following ALL the rules, which there are many.
Your website says:
Short-Term Rental Home (STRH)
Purpose:
The purpose of the Short-Term Rental Home (STRH) Permit is to facilitate the permitting of short-term rental homes in certain areas, subject to appropriate restrictions and standards; to allow for varied accommodations and experiences for visitors while retaining the character of residential neighborhoods; to allow small businesses to benefit from tourism; and generally to implement land use policies consistent with the County of Maui’s General Plan and the State of Hawaii’s land use laws.
In case you have not noticed, homes are being sold at over asking prices, and bought with mostly cash with folks that have been able to relocate causing a “pandemic shift” in our population. I know of a few homes that have been bought sight unseen, and are being used as places for all their family and friends to come visit. What about all the second homes that are used as vacation homes where vacation tax is never collected?
It’s shame that these numbered permits are the low laying fruit that keeps getting picked at when the whole tree is the problem. The planning commission gave the green light for Grand Kamole an upcoming condo-tel, and an expansion of Maui Coast Hotel in the last year.
If these businesses are using million dollar plus homes to generate tax money for us, then let them, as they are not affordable housing, and never will be and are contributing the largest amount to our affordable housing.
The permits are limited, nontransferable to a new owner, and cannot be applied for unless the property is owned for 5 years.
If these are small businesses owned by local people then let them be and let other locals participate, as long as they don’t have complaints.
What business will be discriminated against next because they sell or are involved with tourists?
Which tours should go?
Which restaurants serve too many Mai tai’s outside the hotels and should be phased out?? No really, who's business is on the chopping block next?
The public needs to be better informed on the subject instead of just blaming over tourism on these finite number of permits that are far below the caps originally. There are about 56,000 homes on Maui and these permits represent less than 1% of the homes!!!!!!
I kindly ask you to take in consideration all the testimony given on this subject over the last year, which was heavily weighted against making any changes.
Your MAIN focus should be on creating $200$250K affordable homes and townhomes as this is what our community needs. These homes will not revert back to long- term rentals, as over half are over a million dollars.
In conclusion, any locally owned business should be celebrated, appreciated, and recognized if they are successful at their endeavor while contributing to our community.
Mahalo for the opportunity to make a comment.
To: Tamara Paltin, Chair
Maui County Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee
200 South High Street
Wailuku HI 96793
Re: PLSU 67
Dear Members of The Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee,
Thank you for allowing me to address the proposal to decrease the limit on the number of STRHs allowed in various communities on Maui. I do not feel that doing so is in the best long-term interests of our community.
My understanding is that the main reason for the reduction in the number of permits allowed is in response to the crisis we are seeing on the island with respect to affordable housing. However, reducing the number of permits allowed will do little if anything to alleviate the affordable housing issue. STRHs represent a miniscule proportion of the islands housing stock and the intended consequence of decreasing the number of permits – this housing stock will now become long-term rentals – will have no meaningful overall impact.
The tax rate for STRHs is much higher than the tax rate of other taxable real property and this tax contribution is meaningful to the betterment of our island. I would argue that that the additional taxes from STRHs are a blessing and can be put to good use in the area of developing more affordable housing. Additionally, STRHs typically appeal to a segment of the visitor market Maui should be trying to attract as we seriously consider the future direction of our economy.
If the issue of reducing the STRH cap stems from conditions resulting from noise, parking on streets, etc. from the STRH’s operation then this needs be addressed via the current rules and regulations under the license to ensure that existing and potential STRHs do not upset the quality of life in the neighborhoods they are located in.
Many thanks for your consideration,
Dean
I support limitation
I'm firmly against. What many of us don't realize is that expensive housing is a huge problem on the mainland these days as well, even in undesirable areas these days. Shooting ourselves in the foot (head?) isn't the answer to the problem. We need tourism to support jobs period.
I support a cap and lowering short term rentals. Tourism needs to go back into the hotel and resort areas. What I noticed back in October tourist started traveling BUT our family and friends in the Hotel industry were still unemployed. And as the tourist kept coming with Maui reaching overwhelming numbers in March. Our family and friends continue to be unemployed. However the tourist were here. On social media you would read the same inaccurate rhetoric “we need tourists, they pay our bills”. But for many family and friends who weren’t working (still unemployed) NO bills were getting paid from these tourist visiting. But they were still here. And WHY! because of these short term rentals that only benefit owners and maybe cleaners. In addition they take from our resources by finding beaches away from their short term rentals because it’s not located in a resort area. Taking up the parking. Taking up all the spaces at the beach. Causing overwhelming cars parked illegally and crowding our roads. Clogging up the supermarkets. Clogging up the farmers market. These overwhelming number of tourist needs to go back to the Hotels WHERE “they” say they “pay our bills”.
I support lowering the number of legal transient vacation rentals on this island. We need to follow Oahu’s lead during the housing crisis, and suspend all new vacation rentals.
Tourism is the lifeblood of Maui's economy. Do not support limiting or further restricting short term rentals in condos.
Subject: Testimony - DO NOT lower the current number of operating permits
Dear Council Members:
I write to urge NOT to lower the current number of operating permits any further. Here are a few major points.
- Short term rentals in Maui County support our local economy by providing jobs, income and opportunities for local people to earn a living wage in an expensive economy. - Because short term rentals are spread throughout the County, it keeps traffic patterns free and flowing (rather than bottle necking) in high tourist areas.
- When residents make money on the island, that money stays on the island rather than going to corporate headquarters out of state.
- Offering different types of accommodations for different types of travelers, makes Maui a desirable vacation locale for the majority of travelers--no matter what type of accomodation they choose--it keeps our economy strong.
Thank you for your support.
- Stefano Maffini
Pu'u Koa Palms Vacations Rentals
48 and 52 Puu Koa Pl.
Haiku, Hi 96708
www.puukoapalms.com