HLU-4 Bill 9 (2025) BILL 9 (2025), AMENDING CHAPTERS 19.12, 19.32, AND 19.37, MAUI COUNTY CODE, RELATING TO TRANSIENT VACATION RENTALS IN APARTMENT DISTRICTS (HLU-4)
RE: Letter of Support for the Ban on Short-Term Rentals (HLU-4 Bill 9 (2025) BILL 9)
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
On behalf of the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Registry (MauiWES), we write in strong support of efforts by the Maui County Council to ban short-term rentals in residential communities. As the lead study documenting the ongoing health and social impacts of the 2023 wildfires, we have been working directly with over 2,000 Maui residents—conducting surveys, health screenings, and longitudinal follow-ups to better understand the well-being of individuals across Lahaina and other impacted areas.
Our research clearly demonstrates that the lack of stable and affordable housing continues to be one of the most significant stressors affecting the physical and mental health of wildfire survivors. The housing crisis is not merely an economic issue—it is a health issue. While providing housing alone cannot fully resolve complex health challenges, it is an essential and non-negotiable foundation for recovery, wellness, and long-term resilience.
Short-term rentals have contributed to the displacement of local families and the continued scarcity of long-term housing options. This reality is reflected in our data, which shows that individuals living in temporary shelters, overcrowded conditions, or couch-surfing report significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, and unmanaged chronic disease. The continued prioritization of visitor accommodations over community housing undermines public health, delays healing, and perpetuates trauma among those most affected by the disaster.
In alignment with our mission to inform policy through science and community-engaged research, we urge the Council to act decisively. Limiting short-term rentals is not only a step toward restoring the fabric of our community—it is a necessary public health intervention.
We stand with our residents and leaders who seek long-term, health-centered recovery. We fully support a ban on short-term rentals in West Maui and throughout areas where housing insecurity continues to threaten the wellbeing of our people.
Mahalo for your leadership and commitment to a healthier, more equitable Maui.
With deep respect,
Dr. Ruben Juarez and Dr. Alika Maunakea
Directors, MauiWES
I clean 2 vacation rentals at a property in question in Kihei. I'm 71 years old and have to work several jobs to make ends meet and would lose much needed income. The properties in question are in a small 12 unit in the Charley Young Beach area, with barely enough parking in the smaller size 12 spaces available. If families moved in with 2 vehicles, they would need to park at the County's parking lot for Charley Young Beach or park illegally at Maui Coast Hotel or Pacific Shores. Not all properties support the idea of long term rentals. Additionally, not all long term renters can afford to pay a rent that owners may need to cover mortgages and monthly HOA fees. Please look at more creative options. Mahalo
Aliha! I’d like to start by saying that I’m tired. I’m tired of the same recycled talking points and arguments from uninformed people and their personal attacks on those who think this bill will provide affordable housing. Tired of notion that all these STRs will be provided to everyone with little to no rent given the cost to maintain them. Tired of the relentless bullying and unimpeded attacks encouraged by this mayor (who himself has two STRs) and those LS leaders who are being paid handsomely right in front of us.
Let’s be honest about what’s happening.. we’re watching housing being turned against the legality of property rights. These units weren’t built to raise families in, but to accommodate visitors, and provide some financial support to its owners, and in turn to local businesses.
No matter how many of them say it’s not really anti-tourism anymore, yes it is. And they are so free to claim against it because their own livelihood isn’t dependent on it. Well, my family, my friends and my community depend on it. I was born, raised and have my family here and I’m not about to let these transplants dictate who or what is good for us. You people who just moved here don’t speak for us. You people don’t see the toil we go through to make ends meet and make the best of what the only economy this island has. You can’t speak for our future, just because you achieved your goal and moving here.
Aloha
My wife and I bought a condo 9 years ago after saving up for over 10 years. We paid more for our unit because it was available to rent out. We are retired and use the unit as our primary income. We do all the maintenance and cleaning of the unit. we pay thousands of dollars every year in property and transient taxes each year. The unit is small (700 sq. ft.) and would not be much of a long term home. Both of the taxes have increased dramatically over the years. We need the income to survive on Maui.
I have worked on Maui for over 35 years, ran a business that employed hundreds of locals. Please reconsider who you are affecting. We are not rich people from the mainland trying to take housing away. Why not raise hotel taxes instead of going after us.
Thanks for reading.
Orrin & Heidi Cross
I am a resident of Honokowai and an educator working in the West Side public schools.
This narrative that the short term rental market is, in its current state, essential for Maui's economy is a bald-faced lie. Resources are being leeched from the island and its full-time residents at an unsustainable rate. We see it happening day after day, year after year. Putting off-island financial interests above the day-to-day needs of Maui's community members is both beyond callous and, in the long run, unsustainable for all parties.
Vacations are not essential. Passive income is not essential. Housing is essential.
Community is at the heart of this island. Without it, there is no aloha. No Maui. It is vital that we put the needs of the island's community first.
I'm a Maui resident of almost 20 years and I strongly OPPOSE. This introduces too much uncertainty and chaos into Maui's economy which is already faltering. It's an unfair taking from STR owners (I am not an STR owner but they don't deserve to have their investments essentially stripped from them). Many of the affected units will never be viable as "affordable" housing due to inherent costs of owning and maintaining them. If they cease to operate as STR's, we will be losing out on tourism, JOBS, and businesses that rely on tourist dollars will suffer even more than they are now. Please vote against this measure.
Aloha! I wish to express opposition to this bill. It is obviously propagated by the hotel industry and their deep pockets with the mayor. I work as one of the owners of a small business servicing a lot of these condos with regular maintenance (expensive as they are) and they provide financial support to local businesses around. Mahalo!
Housing is not a commodity to be profited off of, but an integral part of community infrastructure. I support making housing more widely available and affordable for those of us in Maui who don’t have the means to secure “rental property” and are just trying to get by
We must transition STR’s to long-term housing for local working people and end the economic roller-coaster of over-speculation and over-reliance on tourism. Using homes as investments, rather than a place to live or to house people, has proven a recipe for cultural and economic disaster all over the globe, but especially in island communities with limited housing, water and resources. It’s time to pull the plug.
I am opposed to short-term rental phase out. Papakea was initially marketed and sold as a legal vacation rental property before any zoning restrictions limited transient vacation rentals in apartment zoned properties. Papakea owners have been operating legal vacation rentals for almost fifty years. Unlike apartment buildings, designed for long term residential use, Papakea has a front office desk, activity concierge, shared acitivity space and numerous resort amenities. Owners purchase condos at Papakea with a reasonable expectation that short term rentals were legal based on ordinances as far back as 1989. Papakea's operations provide full time employment for over 35 employees. I'd like to thank the committee for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Robin Burks
Aloha,
My name is Terry C Padilla, and I am the owner of a permitted short-term rental (STR) property on Maui. I am
writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed ban on STRs. While this would undoubtedly have a
serious personal impact on my ability to maintain the property, the broader consequences for Maui’s
economy, residents, and recovery efforts would be far more severe.
STRs Support Local Jobs and Small Businesses;
I work directly with a local property management company to oversee and maintain my STR. This includes
employing local cleaners, landscapers, and handymen — as well as hiring local businesses for ongoing
maintenance and repairs of essential appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners. Every guest that stays
in my STR contributes to a chain of local employment and small business activity that keeps money circulating
in the community. A ban would devastate these livelihoods.
Loss of Crucial Tax Revenue;
Permitted STRs like mine generate significant Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) and General Excise Tax
(GET) revenue for Maui County — funds that are critical for public services, infrastructure, and emergency
response. Removing this revenue stream would increase pressure on the county budget, potentially shifting
the burden onto local residents.
Impact on Maui’s Tourism-Based Economy;
With Maui still recovering from the tragic Lahaina fires, eliminating STRs would shrink the island’s capacity to
host visitors and drive up the cost of remaining accommodations. STRs provide a diverse range of lodging
options that hotels simply cannot match, especially for families and long-term visitors. Cutting this sector will
not only hurt the island’s economy but could push tourism to competing destinations.
Enforce, Don’t Eliminate;
I fully support strong enforcement of illegal STRs that operate without permits or community accountability.
But targeting legal, tax-paying, regulation-following STR owners like myself is not the solution. We are already
doing our part to support Maui’s economy, provide housing to visitors responsibly, and maintain high
standards for our properties and neighborhoods.
In closing, I urge you to consider the widespread, long-term economic and social impacts this ban would have
— not just on STR owners, but on Maui’s working families, small businesses, and community resilience.
Sustainable tourism and responsible property ownership can and should be part of Maui’s future.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Terry C Padilla
Kaleialoha Owner
TCybernet@Hotmail.com
(510) 688-5914
I’d like to start by saying that I’m tired. I’m tired of the same recycled talking points and arguments from out of state investors. Tired of the misinformation and personal attacks on advocates and community leaders who only want to do what’s right for our community. Tired of warnings of economic collapse because passive income streams are at risk. Tired of watching Machiavellianism unfold, unimpeded, in real time right in front of us.
Let’s be honest about what’s happening.. we’re watching housing supply vanish into the hands of people who don’t live here. These homes weren’t bought to raise families in, but to extract income from. And then it’s called “helping the economy.” Giving people the chance to clean homes they can no longer afford to live in isn’t economic stimulation.. it’s just feudalism in an aloha shirt with a “Maui no ka ‘oi” sticker slapped on to disguise it as support.
This isn’t about jobs or tourism anymore.. it’s about whether we’re going to protect our community, or let outside investors, who only show up when their money is on the line, keep up this unsustainable practice of extraction for profit at the expense of our future.
operated under long-standing county approvals and legal frameworks. Abruptly changing the rules threatens property rights and could result in costly legal challenges for the county.
The exemption for timeshares appears arbitrary and unfair, as both timeshares and vacation rentals serve visitors and often exist in the same complexes. This inconsistency further erodes trust in the process and the fairness of the legislation.
A Call for Balanced Solutions
I respectfully urge the Council to consider alternative approaches that address the housing crisis without causing collateral damage to Maui’s economy and property owners. Options such as tiered tax increases on short-term rentals, auctioning limited permits, or incentivizing voluntary conversion to long-term rentals could provide meaningful results while preserving economic stability.
Let’s work together to create policies that expand affordable housing, protect property rights, and sustain Maui’s unique community and economy for generations to come.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
June 8, 2025
RE: Letter of Support for the Ban on Short-Term Rentals (HLU-4 Bill 9 (2025) BILL 9)
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
On behalf of the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Registry (MauiWES), we write in strong support of efforts by the Maui County Council to ban short-term rentals in residential communities. As the lead study documenting the ongoing health and social impacts of the 2023 wildfires, we have been working directly with over 2,000 Maui residents—conducting surveys, health screenings, and longitudinal follow-ups to better understand the well-being of individuals across Lahaina and other impacted areas.
Our research clearly demonstrates that the lack of stable and affordable housing continues to be one of the most significant stressors affecting the physical and mental health of wildfire survivors. The housing crisis is not merely an economic issue—it is a health issue. While providing housing alone cannot fully resolve complex health challenges, it is an essential and non-negotiable foundation for recovery, wellness, and long-term resilience.
Short-term rentals have contributed to the displacement of local families and the continued scarcity of long-term housing options. This reality is reflected in our data, which shows that individuals living in temporary shelters, overcrowded conditions, or couch-surfing report significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, sleep disruption, and unmanaged chronic disease. The continued prioritization of visitor accommodations over community housing undermines public health, delays healing, and perpetuates trauma among those most affected by the disaster.
In alignment with our mission to inform policy through science and community-engaged research, we urge the Council to act decisively. Limiting short-term rentals is not only a step toward restoring the fabric of our community—it is a necessary public health intervention.
We stand with our residents and leaders who seek long-term, health-centered recovery. We fully support a ban on short-term rentals in West Maui and throughout areas where housing insecurity continues to threaten the wellbeing of our people.
Mahalo for your leadership and commitment to a healthier, more equitable Maui.
With deep respect,
Dr. Ruben Juarez and Dr. Alika Maunakea
Directors, MauiWES
I clean 2 vacation rentals at a property in question in Kihei. I'm 71 years old and have to work several jobs to make ends meet and would lose much needed income. The properties in question are in a small 12 unit in the Charley Young Beach area, with barely enough parking in the smaller size 12 spaces available. If families moved in with 2 vehicles, they would need to park at the County's parking lot for Charley Young Beach or park illegally at Maui Coast Hotel or Pacific Shores. Not all properties support the idea of long term rentals. Additionally, not all long term renters can afford to pay a rent that owners may need to cover mortgages and monthly HOA fees. Please look at more creative options. Mahalo
Aliha! I’d like to start by saying that I’m tired. I’m tired of the same recycled talking points and arguments from uninformed people and their personal attacks on those who think this bill will provide affordable housing. Tired of notion that all these STRs will be provided to everyone with little to no rent given the cost to maintain them. Tired of the relentless bullying and unimpeded attacks encouraged by this mayor (who himself has two STRs) and those LS leaders who are being paid handsomely right in front of us.
Let’s be honest about what’s happening.. we’re watching housing being turned against the legality of property rights. These units weren’t built to raise families in, but to accommodate visitors, and provide some financial support to its owners, and in turn to local businesses.
No matter how many of them say it’s not really anti-tourism anymore, yes it is. And they are so free to claim against it because their own livelihood isn’t dependent on it. Well, my family, my friends and my community depend on it. I was born, raised and have my family here and I’m not about to let these transplants dictate who or what is good for us. You people who just moved here don’t speak for us. You people don’t see the toil we go through to make ends meet and make the best of what the only economy this island has. You can’t speak for our future, just because you achieved your goal and moving here.
i highly oppose this as it does not make any sense to pass this bill
I am a Maui resident of 25 years and strongly oppose as my and my family's survival depend on you voting against this bill. Mahalo
I oppose this with all my heart!
Horrible idea and will damage my economy as well as Mauis economy
Aloha
My wife and I bought a condo 9 years ago after saving up for over 10 years. We paid more for our unit because it was available to rent out. We are retired and use the unit as our primary income. We do all the maintenance and cleaning of the unit. we pay thousands of dollars every year in property and transient taxes each year. The unit is small (700 sq. ft.) and would not be much of a long term home. Both of the taxes have increased dramatically over the years. We need the income to survive on Maui.
I have worked on Maui for over 35 years, ran a business that employed hundreds of locals. Please reconsider who you are affecting. We are not rich people from the mainland trying to take housing away. Why not raise hotel taxes instead of going after us.
Thanks for reading.
Orrin & Heidi Cross
Maui homes belong in the hands of Maui residents.
I am a resident of Honokowai and an educator working in the West Side public schools.
This narrative that the short term rental market is, in its current state, essential for Maui's economy is a bald-faced lie. Resources are being leeched from the island and its full-time residents at an unsustainable rate. We see it happening day after day, year after year. Putting off-island financial interests above the day-to-day needs of Maui's community members is both beyond callous and, in the long run, unsustainable for all parties.
Vacations are not essential. Passive income is not essential. Housing is essential.
Community is at the heart of this island. Without it, there is no aloha. No Maui. It is vital that we put the needs of the island's community first.
I'm a Maui resident of almost 20 years and I strongly OPPOSE. This introduces too much uncertainty and chaos into Maui's economy which is already faltering. It's an unfair taking from STR owners (I am not an STR owner but they don't deserve to have their investments essentially stripped from them). Many of the affected units will never be viable as "affordable" housing due to inherent costs of owning and maintaining them. If they cease to operate as STR's, we will be losing out on tourism, JOBS, and businesses that rely on tourist dollars will suffer even more than they are now. Please vote against this measure.
Aloha! I wish to express opposition to this bill. It is obviously propagated by the hotel industry and their deep pockets with the mayor. I work as one of the owners of a small business servicing a lot of these condos with regular maintenance (expensive as they are) and they provide financial support to local businesses around. Mahalo!
Housing is not a commodity to be profited off of, but an integral part of community infrastructure. I support making housing more widely available and affordable for those of us in Maui who don’t have the means to secure “rental property” and are just trying to get by
We must transition STR’s to long-term housing for local working people and end the economic roller-coaster of over-speculation and over-reliance on tourism. Using homes as investments, rather than a place to live or to house people, has proven a recipe for cultural and economic disaster all over the globe, but especially in island communities with limited housing, water and resources. It’s time to pull the plug.
I oppose this measure
I am opposed to short-term rental phase out. Papakea was initially marketed and sold as a legal vacation rental property before any zoning restrictions limited transient vacation rentals in apartment zoned properties. Papakea owners have been operating legal vacation rentals for almost fifty years. Unlike apartment buildings, designed for long term residential use, Papakea has a front office desk, activity concierge, shared acitivity space and numerous resort amenities. Owners purchase condos at Papakea with a reasonable expectation that short term rentals were legal based on ordinances as far back as 1989. Papakea's operations provide full time employment for over 35 employees. I'd like to thank the committee for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Robin Burks
I oppose it.
Aloha,
My name is Terry C Padilla, and I am the owner of a permitted short-term rental (STR) property on Maui. I am
writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed ban on STRs. While this would undoubtedly have a
serious personal impact on my ability to maintain the property, the broader consequences for Maui’s
economy, residents, and recovery efforts would be far more severe.
STRs Support Local Jobs and Small Businesses;
I work directly with a local property management company to oversee and maintain my STR. This includes
employing local cleaners, landscapers, and handymen — as well as hiring local businesses for ongoing
maintenance and repairs of essential appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners. Every guest that stays
in my STR contributes to a chain of local employment and small business activity that keeps money circulating
in the community. A ban would devastate these livelihoods.
Loss of Crucial Tax Revenue;
Permitted STRs like mine generate significant Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) and General Excise Tax
(GET) revenue for Maui County — funds that are critical for public services, infrastructure, and emergency
response. Removing this revenue stream would increase pressure on the county budget, potentially shifting
the burden onto local residents.
Impact on Maui’s Tourism-Based Economy;
With Maui still recovering from the tragic Lahaina fires, eliminating STRs would shrink the island’s capacity to
host visitors and drive up the cost of remaining accommodations. STRs provide a diverse range of lodging
options that hotels simply cannot match, especially for families and long-term visitors. Cutting this sector will
not only hurt the island’s economy but could push tourism to competing destinations.
Enforce, Don’t Eliminate;
I fully support strong enforcement of illegal STRs that operate without permits or community accountability.
But targeting legal, tax-paying, regulation-following STR owners like myself is not the solution. We are already
doing our part to support Maui’s economy, provide housing to visitors responsibly, and maintain high
standards for our properties and neighborhoods.
In closing, I urge you to consider the widespread, long-term economic and social impacts this ban would have
— not just on STR owners, but on Maui’s working families, small businesses, and community resilience.
Sustainable tourism and responsible property ownership can and should be part of Maui’s future.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Terry C Padilla
Kaleialoha Owner
TCybernet@Hotmail.com
(510) 688-5914
I’d like to start by saying that I’m tired. I’m tired of the same recycled talking points and arguments from out of state investors. Tired of the misinformation and personal attacks on advocates and community leaders who only want to do what’s right for our community. Tired of warnings of economic collapse because passive income streams are at risk. Tired of watching Machiavellianism unfold, unimpeded, in real time right in front of us.
Let’s be honest about what’s happening.. we’re watching housing supply vanish into the hands of people who don’t live here. These homes weren’t bought to raise families in, but to extract income from. And then it’s called “helping the economy.” Giving people the chance to clean homes they can no longer afford to live in isn’t economic stimulation.. it’s just feudalism in an aloha shirt with a “Maui no ka ‘oi” sticker slapped on to disguise it as support.
This isn’t about jobs or tourism anymore.. it’s about whether we’re going to protect our community, or let outside investors, who only show up when their money is on the line, keep up this unsustainable practice of extraction for profit at the expense of our future.
Mahalo.
operated under long-standing county approvals and legal frameworks. Abruptly changing the rules threatens property rights and could result in costly legal challenges for the county.
The exemption for timeshares appears arbitrary and unfair, as both timeshares and vacation rentals serve visitors and often exist in the same complexes. This inconsistency further erodes trust in the process and the fairness of the legislation.
A Call for Balanced Solutions
I respectfully urge the Council to consider alternative approaches that address the housing crisis without causing collateral damage to Maui’s economy and property owners. Options such as tiered tax increases on short-term rentals, auctioning limited permits, or incentivizing voluntary conversion to long-term rentals could provide meaningful results while preserving economic stability.
Let’s work together to create policies that expand affordable housing, protect property rights, and sustain Maui’s unique community and economy for generations to come.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.