Aloha Chair, Vice Chair & Committee Members,
My name is Pam Jensen and I own a STR property on Maui at Pacific Shores. I am writing today to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the forced proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
I am a responsible, community oriented owner. Many of my guests have been returning for years…and refer others to Maui. We need to keep our options open for short term and long term guests and visitors. We support and employ many service providers, such as Housekeepers, maintenance techs, landscapers, pool service, painters, contractors, plumbers, electricians, handymen, and A/C service techs. I refer our guests to local restaurants, Dive Boat operators, beach rental shops, excursions, vehicle rentals, tour activities and servers. I have a 5 STAR rating and work hard to live up to the expectations of our guests. I have to say our guests are more respectful of our environment & appreciative than locals sometimes.
Pacific Shores was built as Workforce accomodations and is not suitable or set up for families at all. My guests are respectable of our community, beaches, environment, the land, the ocean and the air. Many say they would not return if it were not for the personal experience they have every time they stay in my home. It’s the Aloha Spirit.
Between the pandemic and the fires, our insurances, special assessments, property taxes, HOA and utilities have skyrocketed…not because of our guest usage. We would not be able to support ourselves if the STR’s were taken away. We are barely hanging on as it is.
We are counting on the committees legal knowledge and trusting your to make the right decision using your common sense and fairness to protect local jobs, the economy, our island guests and owners.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Pam Jensen
Hawaiipammy@aol.com
As a Lahaina Residents I am writing in support of Bill 9 CD1, to phase out the option to offer short-term rentals in developments with apartment-zoning.
From other proposals, it is clear this council understands the need for residential housing at a variety of price points, preferably within walking distance to good jobs and amenities.
The apartments on this list meet those qualifications. In addition this council has shown a willingness to add density and allow smaller units. These apartments meet this desire.
Using existing units and infrastructure for residents can save the County money by decreasing the pressure to expand the capacity of water, waste water, landfills, and roads.
Transitioning units developed in apartment zoning to long term residential use can help the local economy by stabilizing the workforce. Businesses around Maui - particularly West Maui- have signs declaring "help wanted" or "hours limited due to limited staff." Even the County is short staffed. Having a variety of housing units available in South and West Maui - two of our main employment centers - would help businesses find and retain employees.
Passing Bill 9 sends the message that this council prioritizes residents and our community.
Mahalo for your time and commitment to our community,
Karen Comcowich
Lahaina, HI
I am writing to express my strong opposition to Bill 9, as its economic consequences would disproportionately benefit large, often mainland-based, corporate entities while undermining the local Maui economy and its workforce. This policy threatens to shift wealth from local small business owners and residents to powerful hotel conglomerates and private equity firms, further entrenching an economic imbalance.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), a major industry player representing hotels, celebrated the passage of Hawaii's new law (SB 2919) which empowers counties to regulate and phase out short-term rentals. They view this as a "policy victory" ensuring "fair treatment for hotels" by removing "special treatment" for short-term rentals, particularly less regulatory oversight. Please see following link to their celebratory article: <https://lodgingmagazine.com/a-long-term-solution-to-short-term-rentals/> This directly indicates that the primary beneficiaries of Bill 9 are the large hotel chains, many of which are owned by corporate entities and private equity groups that funnel profits out of Hawaii.
While proponents argue this bill will create local housing, it overlooks a critical reality: 85% of the affected TVRs are owned by out-of-state investors. The direct financial burden of this policy will fall largely on these non-resident owners. However, the broader economic fallout will impact thousands of local Maui residents who depend on the visitor industry, far beyond just the TVR owners themselves.
The UHERO analysis clearly projects a $900 million annual drop in visitor spending, leading to the loss of approximately 1,900 jobs. These are not just numbers; these are local families, many of whom work in the food service, retail, arts, and entertainment sectors, all directly tied to visitor spending. Maui’s leisure and hospitality sector is a cornerstone of our economy, employing 22,600 people in 2022, representing over a quarter of our total labor force. A 3% reduction in total payroll jobs will directly impact our community.
Consider the broader economic landscape: we are already facing a future where advancements like Artificial Intelligence may lead to job displacement across various industries. Introducing a policy that deliberately causes a significant loss of jobs and a reduction in our island's GDP (projected at 4%)at this critical juncture is profoundly detrimental. We cannot afford to intentionally destabilize our current workforce when future economic shifts already pose uncertain threats to employment. Such a move would leave our local families even more vulnerable, without a robust and diversified economic base to fall back on.
This bill risks trading one challenge for another, benefiting distant corporations at the expense of our immediate local economy and the livelihoods of our residents. We must prioritize strategies that truly build resilience for Maui's people, not dismantle existing economic pillars without a clear, sustainable replacement for local jobs and income.
My name is Megan Franks. I grew up on this island—went to elementary school in Pāʻia and graduated from Baldwin High School. Now my own kids, sixth-generation Hawaiʻi keiki, are following in those same footsteps and will be graduating soon from Baldwin too.
I was raised in my family’s small business on island, and now I run my own. I understand the fragile balance that exists here—between culture and economy, between growth and preservation. It’s a fine line. And if we shift too far in one direction, we risk harming the very people and community we are trying to protect.
Do we need affordable housing? Desperately. But wiping out a major part of our island’s economic infrastructure overnight isn’t the answer. You cannot shut off the tap and not expect people to be thirsty tomorrow.
The short-term rental (STR) industry supports local families whether we like it or not. It’s not just tourists benefiting—it’s our aunties and uncles who clean those homes, our cousins who do maintenance, our friends who manage bookings or run small businesses and restaurants nearby. STRs bring in over $7 billion a year to Hawaiʻi’s economy, and many local jobs depend on that income. Take that away suddenly, and our ʻohana will be the ones who suffer.
Hotels are already cutting back hours. Families are already struggling. If this bill passes the way it’s written, it will only push more of our local community off island. More kids pulled from schools. More empty chairs at family dinners. Is that really the legacy this council wants to leave?
This bill, as it stands, is not in the best interest of our people or our culture. We can and should protect housing for locals—but we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot to fix a headache.
Please find a better path forward. One that’s thoughtful, balanced, and keeps our people rooted here—on the land we’ve called home for generations.
Aloha Chairperson and Members of the Committee,
I am a resident of Maui County. I am writing today in strong support of the proposed bill that removes exceptions for property owners operating transient vacation rentals and short-term rentals in residential and apartment-zoned areas. This is a necessary and urgent step toward restoring balance in our housing market and protecting the future of our local communities.
Maui is in the middle of a full-blown housing crisis. Working families, kūpuna, and young people born and raised here are being priced out of the communities they helped build. The average price of a home on Maui is now over a million dollars — completely unattainable for most local families. Meanwhile, entire neighborhoods are turning into ghost towns, filled with absentee owners profiting off short-term rentals while local families are forced to leave the island or live in overcrowded, unstable housing situations.
We have reached a point where basic housing is no longer accessible to those who call Maui home. Teachers, firefighters, hotel workers, and others essential to our island’s fabric are struggling to stay here. How can we talk about "aloha" when we’re pushing out the very people who embody it?
Short-term vacation rentals have played a major role in this crisis. They have commodified housing into an investment strategy, rather than treating it as a basic human need. Every home turned into a short-term rental is one less home for a local family. In many parts of Maui — especially places like Kīhei, Lahaina (pre-fire), and Haʻikū — STRs have fundamentally altered the character and affordability of our neighborhoods.
The idea that STRs should continue to operate with special exceptions, even as families are sleeping in cars and young people are giving up on ever owning a home here, is unconscionable. Enough is enough. We need to stop catering to speculative investors and start prioritizing our people.
This bill is not about punishing anyone — it is about restoring housing to its rightful purpose: shelter for our residents. I urge you to pass this legislation and give Maui a chance to heal, to rebuild, and to keep our keiki, kūpuna, and working families where they belong — at home, on Maui.
Mahalo for your time and your leadership.
Dear members of the Housing and Land Use Committee,
As a concerned renter and member of our community, I urge you to support the Minatoya short-term rental (STR) phase-out. This policy is a necessary step toward restoring housing affordability and availability for residents. Prioritizing housing for residents over tourists is a matter of doing what is right to support sustainability and bring economic stability.
Please support our local community and take real action to support the Minatoya STR phase-out.
Aloha Council Members,
My name is Leo Szakacs-Kekona, and I come before you today not only as the owner of
Blue Cleaning LLC—a proud Maui-based business that serves both residents and the
vacation rental industry—but also as a lifelong son of this island. Maui is more than just a
place to me; it is my home, my heritage, and my heart. Like so many others here today, I
feel a deep and abiding concern for the future of this community that we all cherish.
Today, I speak with a heavy heart because I find myself pulled in two directions. On one
hand, I cannot ignore the very real housing crisis that is pushing so many families and
lifelong residents off the island. I have seen friends, neighbors, and even members of my
own family face the painful reality of being priced out of their homes, forced to leave a
place they love. The rising cost of housing on Maui is not just a statistic—it is a tragedy
unfolding in our own backyards. It is a tragedy that I, like everyone here, want to see
resolved. I want to see local families have a fair shot at homeownership, for our keiki and
their keiki to grow up and thrive on this island. I want future generations to call Maui home,
just as I have.
But while I share the urgency to address this issue, I cannot support this bill in its current
form. It proposes to shutter more than 7,000 vacation rentals across our island, yet it offers
no clear or actionable plan for what comes next. How will these properties, many of which
are high-end investments, be made affordable or accessible to local families? Where is the
funding, the mechanism, or even the framework to guide this transition? Instead, we are
left with hope—but hope, as well-intentioned as it may be, is not a strategy.
Let us also consider the economic implications of such a drastic measure. Vacation rentals
currently contribute some of the highest property tax revenues in Maui County. These funds
are vital to the services we all rely on—our schools, our parks, our roads, and more. If these
rentals are shut down without a viable replacement plan to offset the loss, the financial
burden will inevitably shift to our local residents, many of whom are already struggling. The
ripple effects would be devastating, jeopardizing livelihoods, local businesses, and the very
fabric of our economy.
As the owner of a business that works closely with both residents and vacation rental
owners, I can speak firsthand to the jobs and opportunities that these rentals create—not
just for people like me, but for cleaners, maintenance workers, landscapers, and countless
others. Shutting down this industry without a clear and compassionate transition plan risks
dismantling entire support systems that families depend on. It feels as though we are
attempting to solve one crisis by creating another.
We need a solution, but it must be one that is thoughtful, balanced, and inclusive. A
solution that respects the need for affordable housing while also protecting the jobs and
economic stability of our community. This bill, as it stands, divides us. It pits neighbor
against neighbor, industry against industry. And I ask: Is this the Maui we want to build
together?
I urge you, with every fiber of my being, to reconsider. Do not pass a piece of legislation that
raises more questions than answers, that promises change without a roadmap. Instead, let
us craft a revised plan—one that provides actionable steps to address the housing crisis
while safeguarding the livelihoods that depend on this industry. Let us aim for a solution
that unites rather than fractures, a solution that lifts us all up rather than leaving some
behind.
Maui deserves better. We all deserve better. We deserve a future that honors the past,
cares for the present, and builds toward a sustainable tomorrow. Let us work together to
create that future—not through division, but through unity.
Mahalo nui loa,
Leo Szakacs-Kekona
As a Native Hawaiian, I'm writing in strong support of this bill. It is prudent to do the right thing for the people of this aina. We have endured enough suffering at the hands of those who exploit the historical trauma and pain of what happened to Hawaiians in our history: illegal annexation and systematic oppression. This bill is a step in the right direction. Please do the right thing and be on the right side of history.
I am writing in strong support of the phase out of STR on Maui. As a local resident who has struggled to find stable housing for years on Maui, we need stable and comfortable places for our workforce to live. For too long we have catered to tourists and out of state owners. Please consider supporting us local families who are trying to have a life here and take care of this beautiful island.
I own Flood Pro which is a locally owned and operated business in Maui. I strongly oppose Bill 9. I receive about 60 percent of my business through property managers of vacation rental companies. They are taking care of the properties and want immediate resolution for their guests and the owners of the properties. This is a good thing for all condos because this means if there is a flood or water damage event, they are motivated to fix the problem to completion and not put band aids on the situation. As a remediation professional, I’ve seen it all. And unfortunately, I have seen many situations in condos and homes with individual owners that did not want to put in an insurance claim, were underinsured, or just don’t want to spend the money to fix the problem. As the remediation expert, I can tell you, when mold forms, it doesn’t disappear. It grows. I have found that a homeowner renting their unit as a short term rental, has a whole lot more motivation to fix the entire problem versus someone who is living there and uses the out of sight out of mind solution. This will become problematic for many of these condo complexes if this bill 9 passes. It may take 2 years, it may take 10 years, but the degradation of the condos will happen due to lack of upkeep. I strongly urge you to oppose Bill 9 and rethink solutions to our affordable housing crisis that won’t directly hurt our community.
Greetings. I’m writing to you today to urge you to reject Bill 9, as its premise relies on several incorrect assumptions and will likely hurt Maui more than it will help. (I also outline a recommendation for beneficial affordable housing policy.)
The first assumption is that forcing the closure of all short-term rentals (STRs) in areas zoned for apartments will automatically increase Maui’s housing supply. While potentially partly true, in reality, it’s more than likely that owners will simply restrict the use of their STRs to themselves or their family members, continuing to own their properties without allowing others to stay there. The units will remain off the market and vacant for most of the year, similar to what happened in 2020, because it’s likely that many short-term rental owners who don’t live on Maui also use those short-term rentals for their own use. There’s no guarantee that simply because a property loses a short-term rental function that it will lead to that property shifting uses or being sold. Moreover, it could unfortunately be that some short-term rental owners keep renting out their units under the table, short-changing the county of millions of dollars every year. An illegal-short-term-rental enforcement policy should be created before any short-term rental ban is passed, because (much like the reaction to the 18th amendment), some people will keep doing whatever they want, regardless of rules.
The second assumption is that short-term rentals that current owners decide to sell will become housing that long-time Maui residents wish to live in.
- First, some short-term rentals (despite their zoning) are nowhere near centers of business, parks, schools, or other amenities that those living in communities wish to have.
- Second, a fee-simple property selling at a market rate may still be unobtainable housing for those living locally due to its price. (There’s no guarantee of affordability or income requirement.)
- Third, leasehold properties may be affordable to purchase but will saddle local buyers with thousands of dollars of leasehold fees in perpetuity, on top of mortgage costs and outstanding land maintenance fees that might arise. Not only will these additional fees make leasehold properties exceedingly expensive, but local owners will never truly own their homes while paying exorbitant amounts for the places they live.
- Fourth, depending on the unit (condominium vs home), properties that were originally built as short-term rentals may not be able to suit the needs of some / many local families. Parents with two or three kids might want a home with a large yard for kids and dogs to run around, carports for cooking and gathering outside together, and a place to park multiple cars. They may want more than half-size closets, communal laundry, and properties where dogs are actually allowed on property. Many short-term rental places don’t allow dogs, don’t have yards, only allow for one parking space per person, and don’t have the in-unit facilities that some families (2-4 kids or larger) would benefit from having...all things that many families want. Even if such properties were to be listed for sale, and be affordable, these homes still wouldn’t fit the needs of some who are searching.
The third assumption is that all short-term rentals are money-making vehicles for those who live elsewhere. The truth is that many local families rely on short-term rentals to pay for their own home mortgages. It’s been said that converting every short-term rental into housing would drop the price of all Maui’s homes by 40% - already a faulty assumption, predicated on the idea that every single STR owner sells their property, which is unlikely to happen – but even if the price of all Maui homes dropped, that doesn’t drop the mortgage price of properties people already own. Locals with STRs still must pay their expensive mortgages, and with STRs abruptly disappearing, they’ll lose the ability to do that and be negatively impacted.
The fourth assumption is that every building in apartment zones were intended to be apartments. If that was so, they’d have multiple parking spaces per apartment, have enough storage on site for every unit, and allow animals throughout the property. The fact that many of these properties don’t have these amenities that so many potential homebuyers would seek means that most of these units would be off of buyers’ radars anyway.
The immediate impact of banning short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas will be a rapid decrease in tourism from the middle-class consumer, with losses in the millions of dollars. While it may drive more tourists to stay in hotels, many tourists choose to stay in short-term rentals because of the amenities that short-term rentals provide (namely, kitchens and washing machines). Fewer people will choose to visit Maui should this ban go into effect, which will immediately impact jobs and the tourist economy which Maui relies on. Remember the impact of a lack of visitors in 2020 and 2023, and the urgency with which visitors were encouraged to (respectfully) return after those quieter times.
One byproduct I’ve heard is that having no short-term rentals in apartment zones will lead to both fewer tourists and an uptick in tourists visiting who spend more money. This could be true (and is seen as a benefit), but the wealthier, fancier tourists who visit are the ones who are most likely to see Maui as a commodity instead of as a community that deserves respect. They will be used to ritzy, glamorous places that cater to their needs, and will look at Maui locals as people to serve them instead of people who are spouses, parents, and neighbors just like themselves. While a single wealthy tourist will spend more in one trip than your average short-term rental tourist, it’s the short-term rental tourist who’s most likely to return to Maui again and again, to learn to cherish the island and show more respect to its people and the land. Staying in short-term rentals in places closer to communities is a tangible reminder that Hawai‘i, first and foremost, is a place to be treasured and a place where people live, raise families, and care for each other. These middle-class short-term rental visitors are more likely to spend time over the years supporting non-big box stores and learning about (and abiding by) local customs. Sure, forcing all tourism to occur at hotels will attract the wealthiest clientele, but the amount of respect you’ll receive from people who simply look at the entire state as another commodity is doubtful.
You witnessed what happened in 2020 and 2023 when visitation was greatly curtailed, and the impact on Maui jobs and families. I fear that such a ban will have a similar impact, if not bigger, as visitors choose other places to visit. Though the housing supply may go up, how will homes be paid for if jobs abruptly disappear?
If you want to guarantee affordable housing on Maui, designate sites where affordable housing will be built and are sold only to families who meet low-income requirements. (Think about Habitat for Humanity’s home loan qualifications, or those in effect for people who receive other social safety net programs like Medicaid.) Stipulate that buyers have to have lived in Hawai‘i as their primary residence for the past ten years, that they have to own the home for at least 15 years and, when the property sells, that it sells for 1/8th the going market rate. Finally, make it so that the next person / people the home is sold to also meet(s) strict low-income requirements and has/have lived in Hawai‘i for the past ten years. This ensures that housing that’s intended to be affordable always STAYS affordable, that it’s bought by people who actually live in Maui (instead of wealthy mainland or foreign investors), and that families who buy homes at a lower, subsidized rate can’t turn around and make a market-home-rate fortune off a home that was sold to them at a much lower rate. Most of all, such requirements will ensure that the home continues to stay affordable for other local families, instead of being bought at an affordable, subsidized price and being sold at a market rate.
We all want local families to have places they want to live, but a ban on these short-term rentals – because of leaseholds, the available properties, the features that many STRs have built (or not built) into them, and the unlikelihood that they’ll be sold and be available for purchase once such a ban goes into effect – may not be the way to do it.
Please oppose Bill 9 and allow short-term rentals to remain…then build affordable housing and find ways to keep it affordable throughout every sale. Ask those who want housing what kind of housing they want. Is it units with no yard and only one parking spot, or places where dogs can run and families can gather? Finally, no matter what ban on short-term rentals passes, it will not automatically convert every unit into a home that a resident can purchase.
To: Maui Planning, Commission,
As an owner of a unit in Papakea, I don’t understand the benefit of converting a popular resort to long term rentals. The units are expensive and in a resort. They are not likely to be useful for those that need housing. People’s livelihoods, and life savings are at stake and yet the housing problem would not be solved. A man’s home is his castle and should not be destroyed on a whim. Please find a real solution and don’t cause more grief to our community trying to find an expedient political solution.
J. Young
.
My name is Jim Pereza, and I am a full time resident of Kihei. Thank you for allowing all of us to give you our thoughts on the repeal of the Minatoya List in Bill 9.
The Maui economy is built on tourism. Eliminating the Minatoya List STVR’s will be ECONOMIC SUICIDE for Maui County. Just a rough example calculation: if 7000 rental homes are occupied by 2 people, and each spends $100/day, even at 80% occupancy, that is over $400 million PER YEAR that you are removing from the local economy. Add that to the $30-50 million dollar loss from property taxes PER YEAR. Where will the replacement dollars come from? Our local government cannot afford this income loss. Our local small businesses cannot afford this income loss.
I’m guessing there is no current plan in place as to what industry will be coming in to replace this kind of money. Maui is very limited as to what industry can replace tourism.
-We don’t have the infrastructure to support any kind of Tech industry.
-Shipping costs for raw materials is too high to get products here for manufacturing, and costs are too high to ship finished products back out.
The only thing that we have an abundance of is axis deer, and we cannot sell enough axis deer jerky to make up that income shortfall.
I wholeheartedly agree that there is an affordable housing shortage here. Sadly, it has been that way for decades. I saw an article from the newspaper in Honolulu from 1968 that housing costs were too expensive and affordable housing needed to be addressed. This has been going on for over 50 years. We need to work together to streamline the permitting process, and give contractors a clear, easy path to building affordable neighborhoods. New home construction will give head of household incomes to the local workforce, and provide homes for those same families.
Eliminating the Minatoya List STVR’s is not a realistic, affordable option.
If the property value of a 1 bedroom condo is currently at $1 million, even if the market loses 40%, down to $600k, a mortgage will still have a payment of over $5000. Add in HOA fees of over a thousand dollars, property taxes and insurance of another thousand dollars, you are looking at over $7k monthly payment. And that is for a 600 square foot, 1 bedroom condo with 1 parking spot. That would take an annual income of over $200k per year to afford.
If the Minatoya List STVR’s are eliminated, thousands of jobs will be eliminated as well. Our local mom and pop restaurants and stores will not survive without tourists. Cool Cats and Cheeseburger in Paradise are both opening new restaurants in Kihei after losing their entire operations in Lahaina. Without tourism, they will both be put back out of business. Without these businesses, there will be no need for workforce housing because there will be no jobs.
Big box stores like Costco and Target will only put up with lower sales numbers for so long before pulling out.
If you eliminate the Minatoya List STVR’s, the tourists that do come and stay in the resorts, will park themselves at the resort and NOT venture out into Kihei, Paia, or Makawao to spend their money locally. Resorts like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton will benefit greatly from these moves, and I guarantee that those dollars will be going back to the corporate offices on the mainland, not staying here to support our local economy.
In closing, one of the things that I personally am most discouraged about is that this issue has turned into an us vs them conflict. My hope is that we can all work together to come up with a plan that will put people in homes, and not destroy our economy.
My name is Micaela and I am a resident of Maui. I am writing in support of Bill 9, which proposes removing Short-Term Rentals from the Minatoya list in apartment-zoned areas. This bill is a critical step toward addressing the housing crisis and returning much-needed units back to local families.
While increasing housing is often seen as the primary solution, we must also acknowledge that Maui’s land and water resources are finite. Without meaningful limits on tourism-based development, especially STRs that place heavy strain on infrastructure and water, simply building more housing will not be enough. Short-term rentals located in these Minatoya List apartment buildings were not designed for transient use, consume excessive water, energy, and community space that should be prioritized for residents. We cannot ignore that our aquifers are stressed, and our streams are overdrawn. For example, the Pulelehua development, which would add significant housing for local residents, remains at a dead stop due to lack of available water resources.
STRs also do not contribute to the local economy in the same way that hotels do. Hotels are required to meet workforce standards and provide stable jobs across a range of departments, from housekeeping to food service to maintenance. These jobs support hundreds of local families. In contrast, most STRs are self-managed or use limited outside services, offering far fewer employment opportunities. While they may generate profits for off-island owners or a handful of property managers, they do not create broad-based economic benefits for our community. Continuing to expand STRs at the expense of residential housing undermines both our housing security and our local workforce.
Bill 9 does not prevent housing development. It ensures that the housing we already have is used for residents, not short-term profit. The continued misuse of the Minatoya ruling has allowed STRs to spread in apartment-zoned areas, displacing local families and weakening the fabric of our communities. Teachers, kūpuna, and essential workers are being priced out as available housing is diverted to serve visitors rather than those who live and work here.
The burden of STR conversion is especially urgent in West Maui, which hosts a large share of Minatoya-listed STRs and continues to suffer from severe housing shortages in the wake of the August 2023 wildfires. According to UHERO’s Recovery Survey, nearly 40% of fire-affected West Maui residents remain displaced or in temporary housing. Many will argue that these Minatoya list properties could not accommodate displaced families from Lāhainā; however, data suggests otherwise. As UHERO notes, “according to US Census Bureau data, half of the households in Lāhainā had a household size of two or fewer people and two-thirds had three or fewer people. These smaller households could likely be accommodated by the Minatoya List properties." Converting these STRs into long-term rentals would offer a timely, targeted solution to shelter families and support the region’s long-term recovery.
Passing Bill 9 is an act of responsible governance. It sends a clear message that housing should serve residents first and that our island’s limited resources must be stewarded wisely. Water, land, and community are all interconnected, and the future of Maui depends on our willingness to make bold, corrective decisions like this one.
Please pass Bill 9. Bring back homes to the people who live here, and ensure Maui remains a place where there is a future here for our keiki.
Mahalo for your time and commitment to our community.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
My name is Jeffrey Moy, and I own a short-term rental property in Maui County. I am writing today to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
My wife and I own a short term rental condominium at the Kapalua Bay Villas. We have owned this unit for several years and have visited and used our unit at least twice a year since that time. We decided to purchase a short term rental in Maui as oppose to a long-term rental in order for us to be able to come and use the property regularly. We visited Maui shortly after marrying over a decide ago and decided that we wanted to make this island our second home and planned to visit often. A short term rental property made the most sense to us as we worked in California and could not spend all of our time in Maui. We wanted to in a home, as opposed to a hotel room, when we came to visit. We also wanted to make our home available or others to enjoy when they came to visit Maui. We have developed friendships with the many people who support our property and our rental guests. We have heard that they too don't understand how phasing out short term rentals (STR) will help them earn a living to stay a resident in Maui. STRs are a more attractive and cost-effective accommodation for many visitors, especially those who come often and stay longer. Guest of STRs also tend to support the many locally owned community businesses as oppose to those who stay at a resort. Maui is a very expensive place. We use our rental income to support the many costs of maintaining our property and to provide the best experiences for our guests. These efforts consume much of our rental income and are used to pay for purchases and the salaries of the local teams supporting us. These people are the housekeepers, the maintenance workers, the guest services team, the AOAO staff, and the many vendors and trades we use routinely. We also pay our property taxes, electricity, and insurance from the rental income. It's clear that most of the income is "returned to Maui." We are very supportive of having affordable housing available for residents, but we do not see how phasing out our short term rental will support this effort.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Moy
Kapalua Bay Villas
My husband and I are both Veterans (husband Air Defense, me an Army Nurse) who recently retired from mainstream jobs stateside. My husband has Parkinson's and devotes his life to slowing the progression of disease through healthy living and fitness. When on island, he participates in the Maui YMCA Parkinson's fitness classes. Stateside, I volunteer at our local YMCA's Parkinson's BoxMaster Program. I also volunteer as an RN with the Red Cross, and was one of an army of volunteers to assist Lahaina Wildfire Survivors that were housed in Kaanapali.
Our family purchased an 800 SF, 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo at Wailea Ekahi Village on June 2022. Our intent was to use it as a family vacation home, short-term rental, and eventual retirement home. Prior to making a lifetime commitment to invest in Maui, we had already vacationed here approximately 10 times, over the span of 40 years. Throughout the years, the island, the people, and the culture permeated our hearts and souls. We researched the Maui housing market, Maui County taxes, and the Maui economy before deciding to invest a large portion of our lifetime savings and retirement funds to purchase a condo. We chose Wailea Ekahi Village due to it's location literally next door to multiple 5 star resorts; beautiful beaches; ocean front property; low density buildings; fiscally responsible and efficient management; top-rate amenities and grounds; active AOAO Board and committees; owner participation; solid reserves; proactive maintenance; high potential for positive ROI as a short-term-rental.
As Short-Term Rental Owners, we contribute significant funds to Maui County monthly TAT and GET taxes; annual property taxes have skyrocketed from $10K/yr to $17K/yr. Hawaiian Electric rates have increased significantly. State Farm Property insurance is now approximately $1100/yr. Our substantial property management fees employ dozens of local residents that provide property management, housekeeping, accounting, marketing, maintenance, concierge, and many other services. Our Wailea Ekahi Village AOAO fees have increased from $1100/month to $1650/month. AOAO fees cover administrative, management, amenities, water, sewer, garbage, grounds/exterior building maintenance, all provided by dozens of local resident employees, and Maui County workers.
Since purchasing the condo in June 2022, our family has collectively enjoyed 9 separate vacation stays. With each trip our family helps to support local restraunts, shops, businesses, excursions, cultural events, transportation, airlines, gasoline; and daily groceries. We have employed local tradesmen on several occasions for painting, AC replacement and maintenance, and other repair work. We have made major local purchases to upgrade furniture, electronics, household goods, and furnishings throughout our condo. On average, our condo has been rented 60-75% of the time. Based on feedback, our guests have overwhelmingly enjoyed their stay and spent a great deal of money during their stay to help support the local economy, and local jobs.
Maui Planning Commission, with all due respect, we do not understand how the proposed plan to phase out Wailea Ekahi Village as a short-term rental site will in any way help the housing crisis on Maui. If the proposed plan passes, these condos will be too expensive for local residents to rent, and also too expensive for many current Ekahi owners to retain for themselves, without rental income from tourists to offset the already extremely high cost of monthly, semi-annual, and annual bills. And, if it passes, it stands to reason that condo owners will witness a continued devaluation of their investment property with increased AOAO fees.
As property values fall, in theory property taxes should also fall, which would decrease Maui County revenue on property taxes. Without short-term rentals, Maui County will no longer collect GET and TAT revenue. Is there something else going on? None of this makes sense. If current short term rental owners are forced to sell because they cannot offset bills without rental income, who is going to buy them? Are there big investors waiting in the wings to buy up Maui?
Maui is a hospitality based economy that provides jobs for local residents. If short-term rentals are phased out, a significant volume of local jobs will also be phased out, multiplying the volume of unhoused and unemployed locals. If the Maui governments' intent is to solve the housing crisis - which has been in effect for decades, why not consider solutions that provide new housing options - like creating more affordable, multi-use, high-density housing? We understand the issues are complex, and sustainable solutions will take time.
Maui Planning Commission, thank you for your service to Maui County, it's people, and it's culture.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Nancy Smock, and my husband and I are the owners of a short term rental property in Kihei. I’m writing to share our strong opposition of this bill.
The planning commission needs to expedite the permitting process to enable more affordable housing to be constructed. phasing out the STRs is not the answer. It would affect the livelihood of the property managers, housekeeping, maintenance and their staffs that we employ. Not to mention the many local small businesses that rely on the guests that stay at our condos.
Maui has a critical need for housing, but phasing out the STRs is not the answer. Thanks for your consideration.
I am writing as a regular visitor to Maui with deep personal and family connections to the island, to respectfully express my opposition to Bill 9, which proposes to phase out legally operating short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas.
My visits to Maui are not just vacations—they are meaningful opportunities to spend time with relatives, support local businesses, and immerse myself in the unique culture and community of the island. Each time I visit, I choose to stay in a legal short-term rental because it offers a practical and affordable alternative to hotels, especially when traveling with extended family. These rentals allow me to be near my loved ones while also experiencing Maui in a way that feels more connected to local life.
Importantly, I—and many visitors like me—spend a significant portion of our budget at locally owned restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, cultural attractions, and small businesses. This spending directly supports the local economy and jobs. The availability of short-term rentals makes these repeat visits possible. Removing them would not only reduce my ability to visit regularly, but also reduce the amount I am able to contribute to Maui’s economy.
I understand the need to balance the interests of local residents with those of visitors, and I fully support efforts to preserve housing for long-term residents. However, I believe there is a way to achieve this goal without eliminating legal, well-managed short-term rentals that operate responsibly, pay taxes, and serve an important role in Maui’s visitor economy.
I respectfully urge the Council to reconsider the sweeping approach of Bill 9 and instead pursue balanced policies that allow for the continued operation of regulated short-term rentals while addressing housing concerns through targeted measures.
Thank you for your time and for considering the voices of visitors who care deeply about Maui and want to be part of its future in a respectful and sustainable way.
We're struggle with our cleaning business now, because the lack of tourism on the island. I support my family with this business, mortgage, business loans and food. I cannot empathize the important of vacation rentals in Maui.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair & Committee Members,
My name is Pam Jensen and I own a STR property on Maui at Pacific Shores. I am writing today to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the forced proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
I am a responsible, community oriented owner. Many of my guests have been returning for years…and refer others to Maui. We need to keep our options open for short term and long term guests and visitors. We support and employ many service providers, such as Housekeepers, maintenance techs, landscapers, pool service, painters, contractors, plumbers, electricians, handymen, and A/C service techs. I refer our guests to local restaurants, Dive Boat operators, beach rental shops, excursions, vehicle rentals, tour activities and servers. I have a 5 STAR rating and work hard to live up to the expectations of our guests. I have to say our guests are more respectful of our environment & appreciative than locals sometimes.
Pacific Shores was built as Workforce accomodations and is not suitable or set up for families at all. My guests are respectable of our community, beaches, environment, the land, the ocean and the air. Many say they would not return if it were not for the personal experience they have every time they stay in my home. It’s the Aloha Spirit.
Between the pandemic and the fires, our insurances, special assessments, property taxes, HOA and utilities have skyrocketed…not because of our guest usage. We would not be able to support ourselves if the STR’s were taken away. We are barely hanging on as it is.
We are counting on the committees legal knowledge and trusting your to make the right decision using your common sense and fairness to protect local jobs, the economy, our island guests and owners.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Pam Jensen
Hawaiipammy@aol.com
Aloha Chair Kama and Committee Members,
As a Lahaina Residents I am writing in support of Bill 9 CD1, to phase out the option to offer short-term rentals in developments with apartment-zoning.
From other proposals, it is clear this council understands the need for residential housing at a variety of price points, preferably within walking distance to good jobs and amenities.
The apartments on this list meet those qualifications. In addition this council has shown a willingness to add density and allow smaller units. These apartments meet this desire.
Using existing units and infrastructure for residents can save the County money by decreasing the pressure to expand the capacity of water, waste water, landfills, and roads.
Transitioning units developed in apartment zoning to long term residential use can help the local economy by stabilizing the workforce. Businesses around Maui - particularly West Maui- have signs declaring "help wanted" or "hours limited due to limited staff." Even the County is short staffed. Having a variety of housing units available in South and West Maui - two of our main employment centers - would help businesses find and retain employees.
Passing Bill 9 sends the message that this council prioritizes residents and our community.
Mahalo for your time and commitment to our community,
Karen Comcowich
Lahaina, HI
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to Bill 9, as its economic consequences would disproportionately benefit large, often mainland-based, corporate entities while undermining the local Maui economy and its workforce. This policy threatens to shift wealth from local small business owners and residents to powerful hotel conglomerates and private equity firms, further entrenching an economic imbalance.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), a major industry player representing hotels, celebrated the passage of Hawaii's new law (SB 2919) which empowers counties to regulate and phase out short-term rentals. They view this as a "policy victory" ensuring "fair treatment for hotels" by removing "special treatment" for short-term rentals, particularly less regulatory oversight. Please see following link to their celebratory article: <https://lodgingmagazine.com/a-long-term-solution-to-short-term-rentals/> This directly indicates that the primary beneficiaries of Bill 9 are the large hotel chains, many of which are owned by corporate entities and private equity groups that funnel profits out of Hawaii.
While proponents argue this bill will create local housing, it overlooks a critical reality: 85% of the affected TVRs are owned by out-of-state investors. The direct financial burden of this policy will fall largely on these non-resident owners. However, the broader economic fallout will impact thousands of local Maui residents who depend on the visitor industry, far beyond just the TVR owners themselves.
The UHERO analysis clearly projects a $900 million annual drop in visitor spending, leading to the loss of approximately 1,900 jobs. These are not just numbers; these are local families, many of whom work in the food service, retail, arts, and entertainment sectors, all directly tied to visitor spending. Maui’s leisure and hospitality sector is a cornerstone of our economy, employing 22,600 people in 2022, representing over a quarter of our total labor force. A 3% reduction in total payroll jobs will directly impact our community.
Consider the broader economic landscape: we are already facing a future where advancements like Artificial Intelligence may lead to job displacement across various industries. Introducing a policy that deliberately causes a significant loss of jobs and a reduction in our island's GDP (projected at 4%)at this critical juncture is profoundly detrimental. We cannot afford to intentionally destabilize our current workforce when future economic shifts already pose uncertain threats to employment. Such a move would leave our local families even more vulnerable, without a robust and diversified economic base to fall back on.
This bill risks trading one challenge for another, benefiting distant corporations at the expense of our immediate local economy and the livelihoods of our residents. We must prioritize strategies that truly build resilience for Maui's people, not dismantle existing economic pillars without a clear, sustainable replacement for local jobs and income.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Gokay Taskin
Aloha,
My name is Megan Franks. I grew up on this island—went to elementary school in Pāʻia and graduated from Baldwin High School. Now my own kids, sixth-generation Hawaiʻi keiki, are following in those same footsteps and will be graduating soon from Baldwin too.
I was raised in my family’s small business on island, and now I run my own. I understand the fragile balance that exists here—between culture and economy, between growth and preservation. It’s a fine line. And if we shift too far in one direction, we risk harming the very people and community we are trying to protect.
Do we need affordable housing? Desperately. But wiping out a major part of our island’s economic infrastructure overnight isn’t the answer. You cannot shut off the tap and not expect people to be thirsty tomorrow.
The short-term rental (STR) industry supports local families whether we like it or not. It’s not just tourists benefiting—it’s our aunties and uncles who clean those homes, our cousins who do maintenance, our friends who manage bookings or run small businesses and restaurants nearby. STRs bring in over $7 billion a year to Hawaiʻi’s economy, and many local jobs depend on that income. Take that away suddenly, and our ʻohana will be the ones who suffer.
Hotels are already cutting back hours. Families are already struggling. If this bill passes the way it’s written, it will only push more of our local community off island. More kids pulled from schools. More empty chairs at family dinners. Is that really the legacy this council wants to leave?
This bill, as it stands, is not in the best interest of our people or our culture. We can and should protect housing for locals—but we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot to fix a headache.
Please find a better path forward. One that’s thoughtful, balanced, and keeps our people rooted here—on the land we’ve called home for generations.
Mahalo for listening and for your consideration.
Aloha Chairperson and Members of the Committee,
I am a resident of Maui County. I am writing today in strong support of the proposed bill that removes exceptions for property owners operating transient vacation rentals and short-term rentals in residential and apartment-zoned areas. This is a necessary and urgent step toward restoring balance in our housing market and protecting the future of our local communities.
Maui is in the middle of a full-blown housing crisis. Working families, kūpuna, and young people born and raised here are being priced out of the communities they helped build. The average price of a home on Maui is now over a million dollars — completely unattainable for most local families. Meanwhile, entire neighborhoods are turning into ghost towns, filled with absentee owners profiting off short-term rentals while local families are forced to leave the island or live in overcrowded, unstable housing situations.
We have reached a point where basic housing is no longer accessible to those who call Maui home. Teachers, firefighters, hotel workers, and others essential to our island’s fabric are struggling to stay here. How can we talk about "aloha" when we’re pushing out the very people who embody it?
Short-term vacation rentals have played a major role in this crisis. They have commodified housing into an investment strategy, rather than treating it as a basic human need. Every home turned into a short-term rental is one less home for a local family. In many parts of Maui — especially places like Kīhei, Lahaina (pre-fire), and Haʻikū — STRs have fundamentally altered the character and affordability of our neighborhoods.
The idea that STRs should continue to operate with special exceptions, even as families are sleeping in cars and young people are giving up on ever owning a home here, is unconscionable. Enough is enough. We need to stop catering to speculative investors and start prioritizing our people.
This bill is not about punishing anyone — it is about restoring housing to its rightful purpose: shelter for our residents. I urge you to pass this legislation and give Maui a chance to heal, to rebuild, and to keep our keiki, kūpuna, and working families where they belong — at home, on Maui.
Mahalo for your time and your leadership.
Dear members of the Housing and Land Use Committee,
As a concerned renter and member of our community, I urge you to support the Minatoya short-term rental (STR) phase-out. This policy is a necessary step toward restoring housing affordability and availability for residents. Prioritizing housing for residents over tourists is a matter of doing what is right to support sustainability and bring economic stability.
Please support our local community and take real action to support the Minatoya STR phase-out.
Mahalo,
Rana Boone
Ha'iku Resident
Aloha Council Members,
My name is Leo Szakacs-Kekona, and I come before you today not only as the owner of
Blue Cleaning LLC—a proud Maui-based business that serves both residents and the
vacation rental industry—but also as a lifelong son of this island. Maui is more than just a
place to me; it is my home, my heritage, and my heart. Like so many others here today, I
feel a deep and abiding concern for the future of this community that we all cherish.
Today, I speak with a heavy heart because I find myself pulled in two directions. On one
hand, I cannot ignore the very real housing crisis that is pushing so many families and
lifelong residents off the island. I have seen friends, neighbors, and even members of my
own family face the painful reality of being priced out of their homes, forced to leave a
place they love. The rising cost of housing on Maui is not just a statistic—it is a tragedy
unfolding in our own backyards. It is a tragedy that I, like everyone here, want to see
resolved. I want to see local families have a fair shot at homeownership, for our keiki and
their keiki to grow up and thrive on this island. I want future generations to call Maui home,
just as I have.
But while I share the urgency to address this issue, I cannot support this bill in its current
form. It proposes to shutter more than 7,000 vacation rentals across our island, yet it offers
no clear or actionable plan for what comes next. How will these properties, many of which
are high-end investments, be made affordable or accessible to local families? Where is the
funding, the mechanism, or even the framework to guide this transition? Instead, we are
left with hope—but hope, as well-intentioned as it may be, is not a strategy.
Let us also consider the economic implications of such a drastic measure. Vacation rentals
currently contribute some of the highest property tax revenues in Maui County. These funds
are vital to the services we all rely on—our schools, our parks, our roads, and more. If these
rentals are shut down without a viable replacement plan to offset the loss, the financial
burden will inevitably shift to our local residents, many of whom are already struggling. The
ripple effects would be devastating, jeopardizing livelihoods, local businesses, and the very
fabric of our economy.
As the owner of a business that works closely with both residents and vacation rental
owners, I can speak firsthand to the jobs and opportunities that these rentals create—not
just for people like me, but for cleaners, maintenance workers, landscapers, and countless
others. Shutting down this industry without a clear and compassionate transition plan risks
dismantling entire support systems that families depend on. It feels as though we are
attempting to solve one crisis by creating another.
We need a solution, but it must be one that is thoughtful, balanced, and inclusive. A
solution that respects the need for affordable housing while also protecting the jobs and
economic stability of our community. This bill, as it stands, divides us. It pits neighbor
against neighbor, industry against industry. And I ask: Is this the Maui we want to build
together?
I urge you, with every fiber of my being, to reconsider. Do not pass a piece of legislation that
raises more questions than answers, that promises change without a roadmap. Instead, let
us craft a revised plan—one that provides actionable steps to address the housing crisis
while safeguarding the livelihoods that depend on this industry. Let us aim for a solution
that unites rather than fractures, a solution that lifts us all up rather than leaving some
behind.
Maui deserves better. We all deserve better. We deserve a future that honors the past,
cares for the present, and builds toward a sustainable tomorrow. Let us work together to
create that future—not through division, but through unity.
Mahalo nui loa,
Leo Szakacs-Kekona
As a Native Hawaiian, I'm writing in strong support of this bill. It is prudent to do the right thing for the people of this aina. We have endured enough suffering at the hands of those who exploit the historical trauma and pain of what happened to Hawaiians in our history: illegal annexation and systematic oppression. This bill is a step in the right direction. Please do the right thing and be on the right side of history.
I am writing in strong support of the phase out of STR on Maui. As a local resident who has struggled to find stable housing for years on Maui, we need stable and comfortable places for our workforce to live. For too long we have catered to tourists and out of state owners. Please consider supporting us local families who are trying to have a life here and take care of this beautiful island.
Aloha,
I own Flood Pro which is a locally owned and operated business in Maui. I strongly oppose Bill 9. I receive about 60 percent of my business through property managers of vacation rental companies. They are taking care of the properties and want immediate resolution for their guests and the owners of the properties. This is a good thing for all condos because this means if there is a flood or water damage event, they are motivated to fix the problem to completion and not put band aids on the situation. As a remediation professional, I’ve seen it all. And unfortunately, I have seen many situations in condos and homes with individual owners that did not want to put in an insurance claim, were underinsured, or just don’t want to spend the money to fix the problem. As the remediation expert, I can tell you, when mold forms, it doesn’t disappear. It grows. I have found that a homeowner renting their unit as a short term rental, has a whole lot more motivation to fix the entire problem versus someone who is living there and uses the out of sight out of mind solution. This will become problematic for many of these condo complexes if this bill 9 passes. It may take 2 years, it may take 10 years, but the degradation of the condos will happen due to lack of upkeep. I strongly urge you to oppose Bill 9 and rethink solutions to our affordable housing crisis that won’t directly hurt our community.
Jack Webb
Flood Pro Maui
Greetings. I’m writing to you today to urge you to reject Bill 9, as its premise relies on several incorrect assumptions and will likely hurt Maui more than it will help. (I also outline a recommendation for beneficial affordable housing policy.)
The first assumption is that forcing the closure of all short-term rentals (STRs) in areas zoned for apartments will automatically increase Maui’s housing supply. While potentially partly true, in reality, it’s more than likely that owners will simply restrict the use of their STRs to themselves or their family members, continuing to own their properties without allowing others to stay there. The units will remain off the market and vacant for most of the year, similar to what happened in 2020, because it’s likely that many short-term rental owners who don’t live on Maui also use those short-term rentals for their own use. There’s no guarantee that simply because a property loses a short-term rental function that it will lead to that property shifting uses or being sold. Moreover, it could unfortunately be that some short-term rental owners keep renting out their units under the table, short-changing the county of millions of dollars every year. An illegal-short-term-rental enforcement policy should be created before any short-term rental ban is passed, because (much like the reaction to the 18th amendment), some people will keep doing whatever they want, regardless of rules.
The second assumption is that short-term rentals that current owners decide to sell will become housing that long-time Maui residents wish to live in.
- First, some short-term rentals (despite their zoning) are nowhere near centers of business, parks, schools, or other amenities that those living in communities wish to have.
- Second, a fee-simple property selling at a market rate may still be unobtainable housing for those living locally due to its price. (There’s no guarantee of affordability or income requirement.)
- Third, leasehold properties may be affordable to purchase but will saddle local buyers with thousands of dollars of leasehold fees in perpetuity, on top of mortgage costs and outstanding land maintenance fees that might arise. Not only will these additional fees make leasehold properties exceedingly expensive, but local owners will never truly own their homes while paying exorbitant amounts for the places they live.
- Fourth, depending on the unit (condominium vs home), properties that were originally built as short-term rentals may not be able to suit the needs of some / many local families. Parents with two or three kids might want a home with a large yard for kids and dogs to run around, carports for cooking and gathering outside together, and a place to park multiple cars. They may want more than half-size closets, communal laundry, and properties where dogs are actually allowed on property. Many short-term rental places don’t allow dogs, don’t have yards, only allow for one parking space per person, and don’t have the in-unit facilities that some families (2-4 kids or larger) would benefit from having...all things that many families want. Even if such properties were to be listed for sale, and be affordable, these homes still wouldn’t fit the needs of some who are searching.
The third assumption is that all short-term rentals are money-making vehicles for those who live elsewhere. The truth is that many local families rely on short-term rentals to pay for their own home mortgages. It’s been said that converting every short-term rental into housing would drop the price of all Maui’s homes by 40% - already a faulty assumption, predicated on the idea that every single STR owner sells their property, which is unlikely to happen – but even if the price of all Maui homes dropped, that doesn’t drop the mortgage price of properties people already own. Locals with STRs still must pay their expensive mortgages, and with STRs abruptly disappearing, they’ll lose the ability to do that and be negatively impacted.
The fourth assumption is that every building in apartment zones were intended to be apartments. If that was so, they’d have multiple parking spaces per apartment, have enough storage on site for every unit, and allow animals throughout the property. The fact that many of these properties don’t have these amenities that so many potential homebuyers would seek means that most of these units would be off of buyers’ radars anyway.
The immediate impact of banning short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas will be a rapid decrease in tourism from the middle-class consumer, with losses in the millions of dollars. While it may drive more tourists to stay in hotels, many tourists choose to stay in short-term rentals because of the amenities that short-term rentals provide (namely, kitchens and washing machines). Fewer people will choose to visit Maui should this ban go into effect, which will immediately impact jobs and the tourist economy which Maui relies on. Remember the impact of a lack of visitors in 2020 and 2023, and the urgency with which visitors were encouraged to (respectfully) return after those quieter times.
One byproduct I’ve heard is that having no short-term rentals in apartment zones will lead to both fewer tourists and an uptick in tourists visiting who spend more money. This could be true (and is seen as a benefit), but the wealthier, fancier tourists who visit are the ones who are most likely to see Maui as a commodity instead of as a community that deserves respect. They will be used to ritzy, glamorous places that cater to their needs, and will look at Maui locals as people to serve them instead of people who are spouses, parents, and neighbors just like themselves. While a single wealthy tourist will spend more in one trip than your average short-term rental tourist, it’s the short-term rental tourist who’s most likely to return to Maui again and again, to learn to cherish the island and show more respect to its people and the land. Staying in short-term rentals in places closer to communities is a tangible reminder that Hawai‘i, first and foremost, is a place to be treasured and a place where people live, raise families, and care for each other. These middle-class short-term rental visitors are more likely to spend time over the years supporting non-big box stores and learning about (and abiding by) local customs. Sure, forcing all tourism to occur at hotels will attract the wealthiest clientele, but the amount of respect you’ll receive from people who simply look at the entire state as another commodity is doubtful.
You witnessed what happened in 2020 and 2023 when visitation was greatly curtailed, and the impact on Maui jobs and families. I fear that such a ban will have a similar impact, if not bigger, as visitors choose other places to visit. Though the housing supply may go up, how will homes be paid for if jobs abruptly disappear?
If you want to guarantee affordable housing on Maui, designate sites where affordable housing will be built and are sold only to families who meet low-income requirements. (Think about Habitat for Humanity’s home loan qualifications, or those in effect for people who receive other social safety net programs like Medicaid.) Stipulate that buyers have to have lived in Hawai‘i as their primary residence for the past ten years, that they have to own the home for at least 15 years and, when the property sells, that it sells for 1/8th the going market rate. Finally, make it so that the next person / people the home is sold to also meet(s) strict low-income requirements and has/have lived in Hawai‘i for the past ten years. This ensures that housing that’s intended to be affordable always STAYS affordable, that it’s bought by people who actually live in Maui (instead of wealthy mainland or foreign investors), and that families who buy homes at a lower, subsidized rate can’t turn around and make a market-home-rate fortune off a home that was sold to them at a much lower rate. Most of all, such requirements will ensure that the home continues to stay affordable for other local families, instead of being bought at an affordable, subsidized price and being sold at a market rate.
We all want local families to have places they want to live, but a ban on these short-term rentals – because of leaseholds, the available properties, the features that many STRs have built (or not built) into them, and the unlikelihood that they’ll be sold and be available for purchase once such a ban goes into effect – may not be the way to do it.
Please oppose Bill 9 and allow short-term rentals to remain…then build affordable housing and find ways to keep it affordable throughout every sale. Ask those who want housing what kind of housing they want. Is it units with no yard and only one parking spot, or places where dogs can run and families can gather? Finally, no matter what ban on short-term rentals passes, it will not automatically convert every unit into a home that a resident can purchase.
Thank you for your time.
This is punitive to condo owners, local businesses, hospitality workers, and visitors. Please stop prioritizing the mega rich hotel conglomerates.
To: Maui Planning, Commission,
As an owner of a unit in Papakea, I don’t understand the benefit of converting a popular resort to long term rentals. The units are expensive and in a resort. They are not likely to be useful for those that need housing. People’s livelihoods, and life savings are at stake and yet the housing problem would not be solved. A man’s home is his castle and should not be destroyed on a whim. Please find a real solution and don’t cause more grief to our community trying to find an expedient political solution.
J. Young
.
My name is Jim Pereza, and I am a full time resident of Kihei. Thank you for allowing all of us to give you our thoughts on the repeal of the Minatoya List in Bill 9.
The Maui economy is built on tourism. Eliminating the Minatoya List STVR’s will be ECONOMIC SUICIDE for Maui County. Just a rough example calculation: if 7000 rental homes are occupied by 2 people, and each spends $100/day, even at 80% occupancy, that is over $400 million PER YEAR that you are removing from the local economy. Add that to the $30-50 million dollar loss from property taxes PER YEAR. Where will the replacement dollars come from? Our local government cannot afford this income loss. Our local small businesses cannot afford this income loss.
I’m guessing there is no current plan in place as to what industry will be coming in to replace this kind of money. Maui is very limited as to what industry can replace tourism.
-We don’t have the infrastructure to support any kind of Tech industry.
-Shipping costs for raw materials is too high to get products here for manufacturing, and costs are too high to ship finished products back out.
The only thing that we have an abundance of is axis deer, and we cannot sell enough axis deer jerky to make up that income shortfall.
I wholeheartedly agree that there is an affordable housing shortage here. Sadly, it has been that way for decades. I saw an article from the newspaper in Honolulu from 1968 that housing costs were too expensive and affordable housing needed to be addressed. This has been going on for over 50 years. We need to work together to streamline the permitting process, and give contractors a clear, easy path to building affordable neighborhoods. New home construction will give head of household incomes to the local workforce, and provide homes for those same families.
Eliminating the Minatoya List STVR’s is not a realistic, affordable option.
If the property value of a 1 bedroom condo is currently at $1 million, even if the market loses 40%, down to $600k, a mortgage will still have a payment of over $5000. Add in HOA fees of over a thousand dollars, property taxes and insurance of another thousand dollars, you are looking at over $7k monthly payment. And that is for a 600 square foot, 1 bedroom condo with 1 parking spot. That would take an annual income of over $200k per year to afford.
If the Minatoya List STVR’s are eliminated, thousands of jobs will be eliminated as well. Our local mom and pop restaurants and stores will not survive without tourists. Cool Cats and Cheeseburger in Paradise are both opening new restaurants in Kihei after losing their entire operations in Lahaina. Without tourism, they will both be put back out of business. Without these businesses, there will be no need for workforce housing because there will be no jobs.
Big box stores like Costco and Target will only put up with lower sales numbers for so long before pulling out.
If you eliminate the Minatoya List STVR’s, the tourists that do come and stay in the resorts, will park themselves at the resort and NOT venture out into Kihei, Paia, or Makawao to spend their money locally. Resorts like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton will benefit greatly from these moves, and I guarantee that those dollars will be going back to the corporate offices on the mainland, not staying here to support our local economy.
In closing, one of the things that I personally am most discouraged about is that this issue has turned into an us vs them conflict. My hope is that we can all work together to come up with a plan that will put people in homes, and not destroy our economy.
Mahalo,
Jim Pereza
Kihei, Maui
Aloha Chair and Council Members,
My name is Micaela and I am a resident of Maui. I am writing in support of Bill 9, which proposes removing Short-Term Rentals from the Minatoya list in apartment-zoned areas. This bill is a critical step toward addressing the housing crisis and returning much-needed units back to local families.
While increasing housing is often seen as the primary solution, we must also acknowledge that Maui’s land and water resources are finite. Without meaningful limits on tourism-based development, especially STRs that place heavy strain on infrastructure and water, simply building more housing will not be enough. Short-term rentals located in these Minatoya List apartment buildings were not designed for transient use, consume excessive water, energy, and community space that should be prioritized for residents. We cannot ignore that our aquifers are stressed, and our streams are overdrawn. For example, the Pulelehua development, which would add significant housing for local residents, remains at a dead stop due to lack of available water resources.
STRs also do not contribute to the local economy in the same way that hotels do. Hotels are required to meet workforce standards and provide stable jobs across a range of departments, from housekeeping to food service to maintenance. These jobs support hundreds of local families. In contrast, most STRs are self-managed or use limited outside services, offering far fewer employment opportunities. While they may generate profits for off-island owners or a handful of property managers, they do not create broad-based economic benefits for our community. Continuing to expand STRs at the expense of residential housing undermines both our housing security and our local workforce.
Bill 9 does not prevent housing development. It ensures that the housing we already have is used for residents, not short-term profit. The continued misuse of the Minatoya ruling has allowed STRs to spread in apartment-zoned areas, displacing local families and weakening the fabric of our communities. Teachers, kūpuna, and essential workers are being priced out as available housing is diverted to serve visitors rather than those who live and work here.
The burden of STR conversion is especially urgent in West Maui, which hosts a large share of Minatoya-listed STRs and continues to suffer from severe housing shortages in the wake of the August 2023 wildfires. According to UHERO’s Recovery Survey, nearly 40% of fire-affected West Maui residents remain displaced or in temporary housing. Many will argue that these Minatoya list properties could not accommodate displaced families from Lāhainā; however, data suggests otherwise. As UHERO notes, “according to US Census Bureau data, half of the households in Lāhainā had a household size of two or fewer people and two-thirds had three or fewer people. These smaller households could likely be accommodated by the Minatoya List properties." Converting these STRs into long-term rentals would offer a timely, targeted solution to shelter families and support the region’s long-term recovery.
Passing Bill 9 is an act of responsible governance. It sends a clear message that housing should serve residents first and that our island’s limited resources must be stewarded wisely. Water, land, and community are all interconnected, and the future of Maui depends on our willingness to make bold, corrective decisions like this one.
Please pass Bill 9. Bring back homes to the people who live here, and ensure Maui remains a place where there is a future here for our keiki.
Mahalo for your time and commitment to our community.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
My name is Jeffrey Moy, and I own a short-term rental property in Maui County. I am writing today to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
My wife and I own a short term rental condominium at the Kapalua Bay Villas. We have owned this unit for several years and have visited and used our unit at least twice a year since that time. We decided to purchase a short term rental in Maui as oppose to a long-term rental in order for us to be able to come and use the property regularly. We visited Maui shortly after marrying over a decide ago and decided that we wanted to make this island our second home and planned to visit often. A short term rental property made the most sense to us as we worked in California and could not spend all of our time in Maui. We wanted to in a home, as opposed to a hotel room, when we came to visit. We also wanted to make our home available or others to enjoy when they came to visit Maui. We have developed friendships with the many people who support our property and our rental guests. We have heard that they too don't understand how phasing out short term rentals (STR) will help them earn a living to stay a resident in Maui. STRs are a more attractive and cost-effective accommodation for many visitors, especially those who come often and stay longer. Guest of STRs also tend to support the many locally owned community businesses as oppose to those who stay at a resort. Maui is a very expensive place. We use our rental income to support the many costs of maintaining our property and to provide the best experiences for our guests. These efforts consume much of our rental income and are used to pay for purchases and the salaries of the local teams supporting us. These people are the housekeepers, the maintenance workers, the guest services team, the AOAO staff, and the many vendors and trades we use routinely. We also pay our property taxes, electricity, and insurance from the rental income. It's clear that most of the income is "returned to Maui." We are very supportive of having affordable housing available for residents, but we do not see how phasing out our short term rental will support this effort.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Moy
Kapalua Bay Villas
Dear Maui County Planning Commission,
My husband and I are both Veterans (husband Air Defense, me an Army Nurse) who recently retired from mainstream jobs stateside. My husband has Parkinson's and devotes his life to slowing the progression of disease through healthy living and fitness. When on island, he participates in the Maui YMCA Parkinson's fitness classes. Stateside, I volunteer at our local YMCA's Parkinson's BoxMaster Program. I also volunteer as an RN with the Red Cross, and was one of an army of volunteers to assist Lahaina Wildfire Survivors that were housed in Kaanapali.
Our family purchased an 800 SF, 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo at Wailea Ekahi Village on June 2022. Our intent was to use it as a family vacation home, short-term rental, and eventual retirement home. Prior to making a lifetime commitment to invest in Maui, we had already vacationed here approximately 10 times, over the span of 40 years. Throughout the years, the island, the people, and the culture permeated our hearts and souls. We researched the Maui housing market, Maui County taxes, and the Maui economy before deciding to invest a large portion of our lifetime savings and retirement funds to purchase a condo. We chose Wailea Ekahi Village due to it's location literally next door to multiple 5 star resorts; beautiful beaches; ocean front property; low density buildings; fiscally responsible and efficient management; top-rate amenities and grounds; active AOAO Board and committees; owner participation; solid reserves; proactive maintenance; high potential for positive ROI as a short-term-rental.
As Short-Term Rental Owners, we contribute significant funds to Maui County monthly TAT and GET taxes; annual property taxes have skyrocketed from $10K/yr to $17K/yr. Hawaiian Electric rates have increased significantly. State Farm Property insurance is now approximately $1100/yr. Our substantial property management fees employ dozens of local residents that provide property management, housekeeping, accounting, marketing, maintenance, concierge, and many other services. Our Wailea Ekahi Village AOAO fees have increased from $1100/month to $1650/month. AOAO fees cover administrative, management, amenities, water, sewer, garbage, grounds/exterior building maintenance, all provided by dozens of local resident employees, and Maui County workers.
Since purchasing the condo in June 2022, our family has collectively enjoyed 9 separate vacation stays. With each trip our family helps to support local restraunts, shops, businesses, excursions, cultural events, transportation, airlines, gasoline; and daily groceries. We have employed local tradesmen on several occasions for painting, AC replacement and maintenance, and other repair work. We have made major local purchases to upgrade furniture, electronics, household goods, and furnishings throughout our condo. On average, our condo has been rented 60-75% of the time. Based on feedback, our guests have overwhelmingly enjoyed their stay and spent a great deal of money during their stay to help support the local economy, and local jobs.
Maui Planning Commission, with all due respect, we do not understand how the proposed plan to phase out Wailea Ekahi Village as a short-term rental site will in any way help the housing crisis on Maui. If the proposed plan passes, these condos will be too expensive for local residents to rent, and also too expensive for many current Ekahi owners to retain for themselves, without rental income from tourists to offset the already extremely high cost of monthly, semi-annual, and annual bills. And, if it passes, it stands to reason that condo owners will witness a continued devaluation of their investment property with increased AOAO fees.
As property values fall, in theory property taxes should also fall, which would decrease Maui County revenue on property taxes. Without short-term rentals, Maui County will no longer collect GET and TAT revenue. Is there something else going on? None of this makes sense. If current short term rental owners are forced to sell because they cannot offset bills without rental income, who is going to buy them? Are there big investors waiting in the wings to buy up Maui?
Maui is a hospitality based economy that provides jobs for local residents. If short-term rentals are phased out, a significant volume of local jobs will also be phased out, multiplying the volume of unhoused and unemployed locals. If the Maui governments' intent is to solve the housing crisis - which has been in effect for decades, why not consider solutions that provide new housing options - like creating more affordable, multi-use, high-density housing? We understand the issues are complex, and sustainable solutions will take time.
Maui Planning Commission, thank you for your service to Maui County, it's people, and it's culture.
With warmest Aloha and Respect,
Terri and Tom
Terri and Tom Nosack
Owners Wailea Ekahi
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Nancy Smock, and my husband and I are the owners of a short term rental property in Kihei. I’m writing to share our strong opposition of this bill.
The planning commission needs to expedite the permitting process to enable more affordable housing to be constructed. phasing out the STRs is not the answer. It would affect the livelihood of the property managers, housekeeping, maintenance and their staffs that we employ. Not to mention the many local small businesses that rely on the guests that stay at our condos.
Maui has a critical need for housing, but phasing out the STRs is not the answer. Thanks for your consideration.
Re: Opposition to Bill 9 (Short-Term Rental Ban)
Dear Members of the Maui County Council,
I am writing as a regular visitor to Maui with deep personal and family connections to the island, to respectfully express my opposition to Bill 9, which proposes to phase out legally operating short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas.
My visits to Maui are not just vacations—they are meaningful opportunities to spend time with relatives, support local businesses, and immerse myself in the unique culture and community of the island. Each time I visit, I choose to stay in a legal short-term rental because it offers a practical and affordable alternative to hotels, especially when traveling with extended family. These rentals allow me to be near my loved ones while also experiencing Maui in a way that feels more connected to local life.
Importantly, I—and many visitors like me—spend a significant portion of our budget at locally owned restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, cultural attractions, and small businesses. This spending directly supports the local economy and jobs. The availability of short-term rentals makes these repeat visits possible. Removing them would not only reduce my ability to visit regularly, but also reduce the amount I am able to contribute to Maui’s economy.
I understand the need to balance the interests of local residents with those of visitors, and I fully support efforts to preserve housing for long-term residents. However, I believe there is a way to achieve this goal without eliminating legal, well-managed short-term rentals that operate responsibly, pay taxes, and serve an important role in Maui’s visitor economy.
I respectfully urge the Council to reconsider the sweeping approach of Bill 9 and instead pursue balanced policies that allow for the continued operation of regulated short-term rentals while addressing housing concerns through targeted measures.
Thank you for your time and for considering the voices of visitors who care deeply about Maui and want to be part of its future in a respectful and sustainable way.
Sincerely,
We're struggle with our cleaning business now, because the lack of tourism on the island. I support my family with this business, mortgage, business loans and food. I cannot empathize the important of vacation rentals in Maui.