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)
Hello - Thank you for the opportunity to wholeheartedly oppose Bill 9. I appreciate that there is a need for more housing in Maui. I believe that by passing this bill, more than housing will be impacted in a negative way. It will impact the entire economy negatively. As is widely acknowledged, tourism and its positive monetary impact, is essential for a healthy economy in Maui. Common sense would seem to show that less tourist spending and less income from taxes paid by STR owners would negatively impact local jobs, businesses, government, etc. Also, as an example, a property such as Papakea would be an excellent example of a property that should be excepted from this bill. It is set up basically as a hotel and, as I understand, has been for over 50 years. There may be others that might be a better fit for this legislation, but I highly recommend voting against this bill and find alternative methods to create additional housing. Not passing this bill would avoid, most likely, lengthy legal battles and ill will for tourists, STR owners and create bad publicity for Maui and all of Hawaii. Thank you for you consideration to vote against Bill 9. Bruce Menard
As a Maui resident and STR condo owner I strongly oppose this bill. I does not make sense in my mind that you would take away residents means of making a living to house other residents. My unit alone provides or did provide my grocery money, it also employees a cleaning crew once a week which would no longer be needed, a management company who would no longer need several employees who are residents and a local handy man to name a few. Most of these employees were also affected by the Lahaina fires.
I believe that most are led to think that all STR condo owners are from out of state taking advantage....this is not true there are many Maui county residents who make their living from their STR properties.
Not to mention black and white the break even point on my condo per month is more than Maui residents can afford.
I can also state that my personal condo will not ever be put into the long term rental market due to concerns over owner rights versus tenant rights; thus taking away short term rental does nothing to improve work force housing with my unit.
It only hurts the community members who are employed and the government by drastic decrease in tax money.
Lisa Stephens DVM
owner Hale Mahina B401
resident of Wailuku, MAUI
Aloha! I urge the county to defer this bill. Not only is it illegal but it highly dubious as to who those groups are pushing it. Especially those Lahaina Strong donkeys who think "Hu! Now I get a free house now!" Ho'omaika'i to those council members who just got a huge raise! Where are you going to get the money for that? Oh I know, be like that hypocrite Bissen who also got a raise and owns two STRs!
The solution to Maui's shortage of affordable family housing is to build more affordable family housing. Put all the resources at your disposal behind this objective. Hire all the locals you can to build housing. Subsidize the financing for builders. Do whatever works to get it built quickly, efficiently and to high quality standards.
Converting current STRs to long-term rental will not solve the housing shortage problem. These studio, one and two bedroom units are not designed for families. And the cost would still be unaffordable, even once prices adjusted to long-term rental rates.
Getting rid of STRs might feel good, it might give some people satisfaction to deprive landlords who live in other states of the profits from STRs. But that satisfaction will last a day, and the loss of jobs will endure for far longer.
If you want to control STRs, don't authorize any new ones, increase taxes on the ones that already exist and use that revenue to build affordable housing. That would be a pragmatic, realistic, fair and effective solution.
Aloha! My sister and I run a foodtruck in Lahaina. ALL of our customers who support us are staying in these STR units, NONE are from the hotels. Those visitors who support local business are more respectful and show more aloha than that corrupt group who did some fishing for housing crap at the beach.
Devastating proposal to hardworking people of our maui community who are employed by these STRs, the visitors who patronage our businesses and restaurants, the owners of STRs that absorb the highest property tax rate AND contribute most generously to the Affordable Housing Fund! It’s discrimination against the very owners who ARE part of our community. Shameful proposed legislation.
Last time I checked Hawaii was part of the United States of America. You cannot just take a property right from one person because of another persons need. You will get sued, waste a bunch of tax payer money and change nothing for affordable housing.
We have enjoyed Maui and our condo for 25+ years. It is heartbreaking to witness the decline in the island’s economy and Aloha spirit. Eliminating tourism and short term rentals will not solve the housing shortage but will add to the depressed economy and unemployment unemployment. Support Maui residents, VOTE NO on the proposed bill to eliminate STR.
Thank you for your time and commitment to serve Maui.
Herb and Dodie Schiessl
Aloha Chair and Maui County Council members,
Mahalo for the opportunity to share our story with you.
We are writing today to express our concerns and strong opposition to Bill 9.
We understand the housing situation is challenging for multiple segments in our community and we appreciate you carefully weighing all the factors.
We are Joe and De and we own a short-term rental property in Kihei that we also stay in several weeks a year. We make great efforts on each visit
to spend our money generously at local businesses and on local products. During the decade that we’ve shared our condo with guests from around
the world, we focus on referring others to these businesses and suggesting ways they can invest in our community and enjoy the activities and
beauty that Maui offers.
We partner with local residents from Kihei town for cleaning services ($50/hr) and maintenance ($85/hr), supporting their businesses and livelihood.
Our guests aren’t hotel travelers. They prefer to cook some of their own meals in the setting of a home so they can spend more of their money on
activities and local restaurants outside their lodging. This lodging style also contributes bed tax and GET income to Maui county which has the option
to be used for building affordable housing.
Within 1 week after the 2023 fire, we partnered with Hope Chapel to connect us to a family that moved into our unit for 2 months while waiting for the
Red Cross to find them longer term options. We were able to provide this to them at no cost because we had built up some savings from our bookings
that year. We continue to stay in touch with this family.
In the past 2 years, we’ve seen our monthly expenses increase to cover large maintenance expenditures required for our aging complex and special
assessments to cover the exponential increases in insurance after the fires. Our dues are almost $900/mo this year and they are likely to increase
again next year as we work to replenish our reserves for additional improvements in the future. Property taxes and mortgage totals easily close to
$4,000/mo before electricity and internet expenses. STR income helps cover those costs while employing local workers. This isn’t a unit we can
rent at an affordable monthly rate long term.
This legislation feels rushed and short-sighted for Maui’s on-going economy and those who have jobs and own local businesses and want to continue
paying their rent or mortgage. The current idea to phase out STRs only seems to shift the problem from one group to another. If you remove tourism
income, people lose jobs and have to move off island. We urge the Council to work with both sides to find a fair and balanced approach that best
provides for Maui's economic future for those who live and work on island as well as benefiting by supporting legally existing STRs.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Joe and De Buckwalter
Dear Chair Kama, Vice Chair Uʻu-Hodgins and Members of the Housing and Land Use Committee:
I oppose Bill 9 as drafted and propose that the Council amend Bill 9 to exclude Papakea Oceanfront Resort which the County has historically identified as having A2-H2 zoning.
Papakea was initially marketed and sold as a legal vacation rental property before any zoning restrictions limited transient vacation rentals in apartment zoned properties. It was not built as workforce housing and was NOT converted into transient vacation use. Maui County and the state of Hawaii identified Papakea with partial hotel zoning for decades and still does today. It is not in a residential neighborhood and is located alongside a long stretch of hotel-zoned properties and directly adjacent to multiple commercially-zoned properties. Unlike long term residential apartment buildings Papakea has a front desk, an activity concierge, shared activity space, and numerous other common resort amenities. There are 35 full time local employees that work at Papakea to maintain operations at the resort. Papakea is the largest contributor of property taxes of all of the West Maui Minatoya listed properties. In the last 5 years it has contributed $16,902,298.17 and that is without the TAT, GET and MCAT revenues.
I also would like to share my AOAO costs with you. Currently my AOAO is $1950/mo which was a 8% increase from last year. In March of 2026 it is estimated it will increase by another $712 due to the interior plumbing project happening, taking it over $2662/mo. This is for a one bed/one bath under 600 sq ft of living space. Add power, taxes and a mortgage, I am well over $5,800 in carrying costs. It would be difficult for any Papakea unit to be a sustainable long term affordable housing option with the high AOAO, maintenance dues, constant special assessments with the sea wall and canal.
Other reasons to exclude Papakea from this bill is that Papakea STR owners support many small businesses owned and operated by local residents. Some of these are housekeepers, handymen, on island agents and contractors, furniture stores and local trade professionals. They rely on Papakea STRs to support their business and by shutting STRs down puts local residents at risk of having to close their business and go work for less money, less flexibility and subject to oppressive corporate policies. Papakea guests also support other small business on the island including retail shops, restaurants, food trucks, shops, tour and activity companies and state and national parks.
I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to comment.
I am in opposition to the proposed bill to phase out STR. I am an owner at Kamaole Sands in Kihei. Our property was designed specifically to welcome short term visitors to Maui.
We have owned since 2005.
We have built many relationships and friendships with local service people.
Those local service people live full-time on Maui and rely on the STR business to make a living. Including air-conditioning service people, plumbers, electricians, cleaning crews, Remodeling companies, resort property managers and grounds workers, let alone car rental businesses, etc.
We enjoy and frequent the many restaurants and activities that the island has to offer.
Eliminating the STR units will hurt the Maui and Hawaiian economy, therefore hurting local families and people of Maui.
Many local families will be forced to leave the island because they will no longer be able to afford the cost of living.
Please refocus efforts to restore tourism and the Aloha to Maui which the island and its people rely on for there future.
I strongly oppose the bill.
My parents were multiweek time share owners at Kuleana Club for over 40 years. They gave each of us kids a week when they were in their 80’s and unable to go any longer. We continue to use our week whenever possible and enjoy allowing friends and family to use when we are unable. They pay the maintenance fee’s and property taxes and we pay the use taxes to Maui and Hawaii and this bill might put restrictions on our ability to allow people to use and or rent it for the week thru the Realtor Kuleana uses to help fill a vacancy. Why would Maui want to loose this opportunity to get transient use taxes???
Please allow us short term vacation time share owners to continue to provide others opportunity to visit Maui when we are unable.
To the committee members,
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I would like to start by saying how much we care for the community of Maui and have donated to many non profit organizations to assist the community during these challenging times. That being said, we oppose Bill 9 and especially the inclusion of Papakea Resort on the list to potentially lose its ability to operate as a short term vacation rental. Our family first started to vacation at Papakea Resort in 1978. We looked at the opportunity to purchase a condominium during our first trip as a family. We continued to visit and did our research about the property. We educated ourselves about lease hold and fee simple land. We also educated ourselves about the zoning, and learned that the phase two of Papakea had an H-2 zoning. The first phase was built under an A-2 zoning with a short term vacation rental designation because at the time that is how it was defined. Later it was defined as H-2. With this assurance we felt comfortable with our decision to purchase and did so in 2007. We strongly believe that Papakea has wrongly been added to the list to potentially lose STVR status. I ask you to please reconsider this for all the properties for the potential loss to our economy but especially Papakea Resort that carries an H-2 zoning.
AND TO BE CLEAR:
We oppose the BILL for ALL properties on the Minatoya List to be clear. The Minatoya List for a list was established as properties who were evaluated and determined to keep their STVR status. Please go after the non conforming properties not properties who have a history of STVR status.
As an annual vacationer to maui for the last 35+ years. This is the wrong move. The short term rentals are taxed at a higher rate. The STR renter rents a vehicle, paying more in taxes...They spend their money suppling the island workforce with income, which they will pay taxes on. if there is less STR the loss of income to Maui will not be made up. Once the STR renter finds out that they cannot rent at their usuall spot they will find somewhere else to vacation. Lahaina needs residential housing, and multidwelling residential units but the tourist staying in honokowai and kahana needs places to spend their money on the west side, Just like "a field of dreams". "if you build it they will come!" get the harbour open, get resturants built, get the merchantiles built...and as the sayihng goes...Please don't cut off you nose in spite of your face. This bill would send an economic tidal wave throughout Maui county.
Dear Honorable Members of the Maui County Council and Mayor Bissen,
My name is Pat Byrne. I am a property owner at Kahana Village in West Maui. I strongly oppose the passage of the proposed Bill 9, and its recommended forced phase-out of STRs on the Minatoya list. I urge you to seek a balanced approach that protects jobs, supports the economy, and maintains our property.
As a responsible owner on Maui for over 40 years, our family has focused on community needs as well as our love for Maui. We support local businesses (including construction, maintenance, services, restaurants, artisans and tourism). We recommend the same to our guests. Our property managers utilize local vendors for landscaping, housekeeping, paint, roofing, and other needs. A ban would eliminate hundreds of the related jobs and reduce the infrastructure that currently offers employment to local workers. After the August 2023 fire, we volunteered during our stay, contributed to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Community Fund, GoFundMe efforts, and made numerous in-kind donations of products that were of immediate need to those displaced by the fires.
Our high cost of property taxes, insurance and special assessments contributes significantly to the local economy and services. TAT and GET revenues generated from our property help fund essential county services. These County revenues will drop dramatically if STRs are eliminated! The UH study indicates that visitor spending could be reduced by $900 million if the ban passes. This would be devastating to the local economy, not to mention detrimental to livelihoods and bankrupt people in the service and tourism industries. How will the county function with such a reduced tax revenue?
I have heard concerns about “families forced to leave.” However, with the passage of Bill 9, the employees of tourism and related businesses and services will be forced to leave as well.
It is uncertain that the Minatoya properties will provide affordable long-term housing, or that it will be the proper solution. The storage, utility and infrastructure elements of our property are not designed to meet the needs of permanent/long-term housing.
What other options have been considered? What would be a balanced approach that is constructive for all stakeholders? Solutions could include a balance between legislation to control future building of STRs and building more affordable housing. Tourism tax dollars, including my own tax payments, would contribute to this effort.
I consider Kahana Village my Maui home and I contribute responsibly to the well-being of the community and the local economy. Having owned since 1984, we have brought tens of thousands of dollars into the Maui economy. I hope to be able to continue to do so! I am asking for a balanced, win/win solution. Thank you for your consideration.
Aloha,
I strongly appose of Bill 9 which proposes to phase out short term rental rights for condominiums located in an apartment zoning district. Papakea resort is located in this apartment area yet they are permitted under existing H2 zoning. This would be a violation of vested property rights. Owners under H2 zoning should have the right to continue short term rentals. I ask that you please reconsider Bill 9.
We are owners of a short-term rental unit in Kihei purchased only in 2020. Prior to our purchase we were consistent visitors to Maui for over 30 years. We finally had the opportunity to purchase a unit and did so with the intention to use the property for ourselves, for family and to rent it on a short-term basis both to assist with the mortgage payment as well as to enable others to enjoy the beauty of Maui. It is our position that the current proposal under consideration would be devastating for Maui County, for businesses and employees in the county and would do next to nothing to solve the housing crisis face in Maui. There are three, key reasons we ask that this bill be rejected:
1. The revenue that short-terms rentals contribute to the state of Hawaii as well as to Maui County are substantial. We would like to point out that not only have we financed our unit through a Hawaii state bank, we also use that same bank's account services to manage our income and expenses (which do not exceed our monthly mortgage payment by the way so we are not 'making' money on this unit). The tax revenue contributed by short-term rentals is also significant for both the state and county. That includes revenue generated by the rentals themselves as well as from the property taxes we pay which makes up 37% of property tax revenue and which constitute 15% of Maui County's budget.
2. We support local employment, restaurants and other businesses. For example, we have a local property management company who hires local contractors when our unit needs work and repairs and we use a local company to clean our unit in between guests. Our guests frequent the local grocery stores, restaurants and tourist activities. The removal of short-term rentals will devastate these businesses.
3. We do not understand for one minute how removing short-term rentals will do anything to address the issues of affordable housing. First of all, these units were never built for any kind of long-term accommodation. Our unit is 680 square feet with almost no storage available and one parking space. Further, no pets are allowed on the property. It is simply not reasonable to consider a unit like ours as viable long-term housing. Secondly, most of the units being considered by this bill are significantly old. The HOA fees collected to replace aging infrastructure are substantial. Finally, the cost of these units will not be affordable. Even if the county government is successful in driving down the market value of these units, they will cost more than what most people seeking affordable housing would consider manageable. We believe a better approach to providing affordable housing on the island would be to use the tax revenue collected from short-term rental units by the county to build new housing in areas where local residents want to live and where they work. It is our understanding that the regulations and rules in place to govern building on the island are largely responsible for the lack of movement to provide housing, not short-term rentals that are more than 50-60 years old.
In summary, we agree that more needs to be done to accommodate affordable housing for residents on the island of Maui (this is an issue. in our home state of Washington as well FYI) but we believe this proposal will do more harm than good for Maui County and all of its residents. Thus, we are opposed to the passage of this bill.
Respectfully,
Kent Boyle, Theresa Boyle, Timothy Lewis and Sydney Lewis
Unit B309
Maui Sunset
I am a timeshare owner at the Kuleana Club. Like hundreds of others, I own one week per year—not a second home, not an investment property. I return regularly, support local restaurants, spend at neighborhood shops, and have built lasting relationships on the island. Timeshare owners like me are part of a stable community of repeat visitors who care deeply about Maui’s well-being.
I urge you to oppose Bill 9 entirely.
But if it passes, please retain the CD1 amendment exempting timeshares.
Timeshares are not TVRs.
This exemption is a fair, balanced, and lawful solution that protects jobs, housing neutrality, and tax revenue—without compromising the County’s broader goals.
Mahalo for your time, your service, and for considering the perspective of owners like me.
Dennis Cole, Corona, California
Kuleana Club Timeshare Owner
Unit 319 Wk 19
My name is Mitch Myers, As someone who has been visiting Maui for over 30 years and now owns property here, I deeply care about the future of this island—its people, its culture, and its economy. I respectfully oppose the proposed short-term rental ban and urge the Council to consider the broader economic impacts and unintended consequences of such a policy.
According to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO), short-term rentals generate substantial economic benefits for Maui County. The UHERO study found that STRs contribute $728 million annually in visitor spending, support over 10,000 jobs, and generate $160 million in state and local tax revenues. A broad ban would significantly harm Maui’s economy, which is fundamentally built on tourism, and undermine the standard of living for many local residents who depend on these jobs directly or indirectly.
While I fully support the need for affordable housing solutions for local residents, the proposal as it stands is overly broad. Some properties on the Minatoya list are clearly unsuitable for local housing—resort-style complexes or units within areas not designed for year-round residential life. It makes no common or practical sense to include these in the STR phase-out. I urge the County to differentiate between truly residential communities and commercial-resort zones.
Let’s also acknowledge that no single solution will resolve Maui’s housing crisis. The right path is a balanced approach: modest reductions in STRs where appropriate, reinvestment of tourism revenues into workforce housing, and development of new housing projects tailored for local needs. Eliminating STRs wholesale would devastate the very economy that funds community services and provides upward mobility for residents.
I urge the County to pursue comprehensive, data-driven solutions—not reactionary policies that risk long-term economic damage.
Hello - Thank you for the opportunity to wholeheartedly oppose Bill 9. I appreciate that there is a need for more housing in Maui. I believe that by passing this bill, more than housing will be impacted in a negative way. It will impact the entire economy negatively. As is widely acknowledged, tourism and its positive monetary impact, is essential for a healthy economy in Maui. Common sense would seem to show that less tourist spending and less income from taxes paid by STR owners would negatively impact local jobs, businesses, government, etc. Also, as an example, a property such as Papakea would be an excellent example of a property that should be excepted from this bill. It is set up basically as a hotel and, as I understand, has been for over 50 years. There may be others that might be a better fit for this legislation, but I highly recommend voting against this bill and find alternative methods to create additional housing. Not passing this bill would avoid, most likely, lengthy legal battles and ill will for tourists, STR owners and create bad publicity for Maui and all of Hawaii. Thank you for you consideration to vote against Bill 9. Bruce Menard
As a Maui resident and STR condo owner I strongly oppose this bill. I does not make sense in my mind that you would take away residents means of making a living to house other residents. My unit alone provides or did provide my grocery money, it also employees a cleaning crew once a week which would no longer be needed, a management company who would no longer need several employees who are residents and a local handy man to name a few. Most of these employees were also affected by the Lahaina fires.
I believe that most are led to think that all STR condo owners are from out of state taking advantage....this is not true there are many Maui county residents who make their living from their STR properties.
Not to mention black and white the break even point on my condo per month is more than Maui residents can afford.
I can also state that my personal condo will not ever be put into the long term rental market due to concerns over owner rights versus tenant rights; thus taking away short term rental does nothing to improve work force housing with my unit.
It only hurts the community members who are employed and the government by drastic decrease in tax money.
Lisa Stephens DVM
owner Hale Mahina B401
resident of Wailuku, MAUI
Aloha! I urge the county to defer this bill. Not only is it illegal but it highly dubious as to who those groups are pushing it. Especially those Lahaina Strong donkeys who think "Hu! Now I get a free house now!" Ho'omaika'i to those council members who just got a huge raise! Where are you going to get the money for that? Oh I know, be like that hypocrite Bissen who also got a raise and owns two STRs!
The solution to Maui's shortage of affordable family housing is to build more affordable family housing. Put all the resources at your disposal behind this objective. Hire all the locals you can to build housing. Subsidize the financing for builders. Do whatever works to get it built quickly, efficiently and to high quality standards.
Converting current STRs to long-term rental will not solve the housing shortage problem. These studio, one and two bedroom units are not designed for families. And the cost would still be unaffordable, even once prices adjusted to long-term rental rates.
Getting rid of STRs might feel good, it might give some people satisfaction to deprive landlords who live in other states of the profits from STRs. But that satisfaction will last a day, and the loss of jobs will endure for far longer.
If you want to control STRs, don't authorize any new ones, increase taxes on the ones that already exist and use that revenue to build affordable housing. That would be a pragmatic, realistic, fair and effective solution.
Aloha! My sister and I run a foodtruck in Lahaina. ALL of our customers who support us are staying in these STR units, NONE are from the hotels. Those visitors who support local business are more respectful and show more aloha than that corrupt group who did some fishing for housing crap at the beach.
Devastating proposal to hardworking people of our maui community who are employed by these STRs, the visitors who patronage our businesses and restaurants, the owners of STRs that absorb the highest property tax rate AND contribute most generously to the Affordable Housing Fund! It’s discrimination against the very owners who ARE part of our community. Shameful proposed legislation.
Last time I checked Hawaii was part of the United States of America. You cannot just take a property right from one person because of another persons need. You will get sued, waste a bunch of tax payer money and change nothing for affordable housing.
Strongly oppose!
We have enjoyed Maui and our condo for 25+ years. It is heartbreaking to witness the decline in the island’s economy and Aloha spirit. Eliminating tourism and short term rentals will not solve the housing shortage but will add to the depressed economy and unemployment unemployment. Support Maui residents, VOTE NO on the proposed bill to eliminate STR.
Thank you for your time and commitment to serve Maui.
Herb and Dodie Schiessl
Aloha Chair and Maui County Council members,
Mahalo for the opportunity to share our story with you.
We are writing today to express our concerns and strong opposition to Bill 9.
We understand the housing situation is challenging for multiple segments in our community and we appreciate you carefully weighing all the factors.
We are Joe and De and we own a short-term rental property in Kihei that we also stay in several weeks a year. We make great efforts on each visit
to spend our money generously at local businesses and on local products. During the decade that we’ve shared our condo with guests from around
the world, we focus on referring others to these businesses and suggesting ways they can invest in our community and enjoy the activities and
beauty that Maui offers.
We partner with local residents from Kihei town for cleaning services ($50/hr) and maintenance ($85/hr), supporting their businesses and livelihood.
Our guests aren’t hotel travelers. They prefer to cook some of their own meals in the setting of a home so they can spend more of their money on
activities and local restaurants outside their lodging. This lodging style also contributes bed tax and GET income to Maui county which has the option
to be used for building affordable housing.
Within 1 week after the 2023 fire, we partnered with Hope Chapel to connect us to a family that moved into our unit for 2 months while waiting for the
Red Cross to find them longer term options. We were able to provide this to them at no cost because we had built up some savings from our bookings
that year. We continue to stay in touch with this family.
In the past 2 years, we’ve seen our monthly expenses increase to cover large maintenance expenditures required for our aging complex and special
assessments to cover the exponential increases in insurance after the fires. Our dues are almost $900/mo this year and they are likely to increase
again next year as we work to replenish our reserves for additional improvements in the future. Property taxes and mortgage totals easily close to
$4,000/mo before electricity and internet expenses. STR income helps cover those costs while employing local workers. This isn’t a unit we can
rent at an affordable monthly rate long term.
This legislation feels rushed and short-sighted for Maui’s on-going economy and those who have jobs and own local businesses and want to continue
paying their rent or mortgage. The current idea to phase out STRs only seems to shift the problem from one group to another. If you remove tourism
income, people lose jobs and have to move off island. We urge the Council to work with both sides to find a fair and balanced approach that best
provides for Maui's economic future for those who live and work on island as well as benefiting by supporting legally existing STRs.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Joe and De Buckwalter
Dear Chair Kama, Vice Chair Uʻu-Hodgins and Members of the Housing and Land Use Committee:
I oppose Bill 9 as drafted and propose that the Council amend Bill 9 to exclude Papakea Oceanfront Resort which the County has historically identified as having A2-H2 zoning.
Papakea was initially marketed and sold as a legal vacation rental property before any zoning restrictions limited transient vacation rentals in apartment zoned properties. It was not built as workforce housing and was NOT converted into transient vacation use. Maui County and the state of Hawaii identified Papakea with partial hotel zoning for decades and still does today. It is not in a residential neighborhood and is located alongside a long stretch of hotel-zoned properties and directly adjacent to multiple commercially-zoned properties. Unlike long term residential apartment buildings Papakea has a front desk, an activity concierge, shared activity space, and numerous other common resort amenities. There are 35 full time local employees that work at Papakea to maintain operations at the resort. Papakea is the largest contributor of property taxes of all of the West Maui Minatoya listed properties. In the last 5 years it has contributed $16,902,298.17 and that is without the TAT, GET and MCAT revenues.
I also would like to share my AOAO costs with you. Currently my AOAO is $1950/mo which was a 8% increase from last year. In March of 2026 it is estimated it will increase by another $712 due to the interior plumbing project happening, taking it over $2662/mo. This is for a one bed/one bath under 600 sq ft of living space. Add power, taxes and a mortgage, I am well over $5,800 in carrying costs. It would be difficult for any Papakea unit to be a sustainable long term affordable housing option with the high AOAO, maintenance dues, constant special assessments with the sea wall and canal.
Other reasons to exclude Papakea from this bill is that Papakea STR owners support many small businesses owned and operated by local residents. Some of these are housekeepers, handymen, on island agents and contractors, furniture stores and local trade professionals. They rely on Papakea STRs to support their business and by shutting STRs down puts local residents at risk of having to close their business and go work for less money, less flexibility and subject to oppressive corporate policies. Papakea guests also support other small business on the island including retail shops, restaurants, food trucks, shops, tour and activity companies and state and national parks.
I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
Karen Krauchek
3543 Lower Honoapiilani Road, Apartment L101
I am in opposition to the proposed bill to phase out STR. I am an owner at Kamaole Sands in Kihei. Our property was designed specifically to welcome short term visitors to Maui.
We have owned since 2005.
We have built many relationships and friendships with local service people.
Those local service people live full-time on Maui and rely on the STR business to make a living. Including air-conditioning service people, plumbers, electricians, cleaning crews, Remodeling companies, resort property managers and grounds workers, let alone car rental businesses, etc.
We enjoy and frequent the many restaurants and activities that the island has to offer.
Eliminating the STR units will hurt the Maui and Hawaiian economy, therefore hurting local families and people of Maui.
Many local families will be forced to leave the island because they will no longer be able to afford the cost of living.
Please refocus efforts to restore tourism and the Aloha to Maui which the island and its people rely on for there future.
I strongly oppose the bill.
My parents were multiweek time share owners at Kuleana Club for over 40 years. They gave each of us kids a week when they were in their 80’s and unable to go any longer. We continue to use our week whenever possible and enjoy allowing friends and family to use when we are unable. They pay the maintenance fee’s and property taxes and we pay the use taxes to Maui and Hawaii and this bill might put restrictions on our ability to allow people to use and or rent it for the week thru the Realtor Kuleana uses to help fill a vacancy. Why would Maui want to loose this opportunity to get transient use taxes???
Please allow us short term vacation time share owners to continue to provide others opportunity to visit Maui when we are unable.
Thank You
Gary Goolsby
Kuleana Time Share owners.
Gary Goolsby
Kuleana
To the committee members,
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I would like to start by saying how much we care for the community of Maui and have donated to many non profit organizations to assist the community during these challenging times. That being said, we oppose Bill 9 and especially the inclusion of Papakea Resort on the list to potentially lose its ability to operate as a short term vacation rental. Our family first started to vacation at Papakea Resort in 1978. We looked at the opportunity to purchase a condominium during our first trip as a family. We continued to visit and did our research about the property. We educated ourselves about lease hold and fee simple land. We also educated ourselves about the zoning, and learned that the phase two of Papakea had an H-2 zoning. The first phase was built under an A-2 zoning with a short term vacation rental designation because at the time that is how it was defined. Later it was defined as H-2. With this assurance we felt comfortable with our decision to purchase and did so in 2007. We strongly believe that Papakea has wrongly been added to the list to potentially lose STVR status. I ask you to please reconsider this for all the properties for the potential loss to our economy but especially Papakea Resort that carries an H-2 zoning.
AND TO BE CLEAR:
We oppose the BILL for ALL properties on the Minatoya List to be clear. The Minatoya List for a list was established as properties who were evaluated and determined to keep their STVR status. Please go after the non conforming properties not properties who have a history of STVR status.
Thank you for your consideration. JRL
As an annual vacationer to maui for the last 35+ years. This is the wrong move. The short term rentals are taxed at a higher rate. The STR renter rents a vehicle, paying more in taxes...They spend their money suppling the island workforce with income, which they will pay taxes on. if there is less STR the loss of income to Maui will not be made up. Once the STR renter finds out that they cannot rent at their usuall spot they will find somewhere else to vacation. Lahaina needs residential housing, and multidwelling residential units but the tourist staying in honokowai and kahana needs places to spend their money on the west side, Just like "a field of dreams". "if you build it they will come!" get the harbour open, get resturants built, get the merchantiles built...and as the sayihng goes...Please don't cut off you nose in spite of your face. This bill would send an economic tidal wave throughout Maui county.
June 7, 2025
Dear Honorable Members of the Maui County Council and Mayor Bissen,
My name is Pat Byrne. I am a property owner at Kahana Village in West Maui. I strongly oppose the passage of the proposed Bill 9, and its recommended forced phase-out of STRs on the Minatoya list. I urge you to seek a balanced approach that protects jobs, supports the economy, and maintains our property.
As a responsible owner on Maui for over 40 years, our family has focused on community needs as well as our love for Maui. We support local businesses (including construction, maintenance, services, restaurants, artisans and tourism). We recommend the same to our guests. Our property managers utilize local vendors for landscaping, housekeeping, paint, roofing, and other needs. A ban would eliminate hundreds of the related jobs and reduce the infrastructure that currently offers employment to local workers. After the August 2023 fire, we volunteered during our stay, contributed to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Community Fund, GoFundMe efforts, and made numerous in-kind donations of products that were of immediate need to those displaced by the fires.
Our high cost of property taxes, insurance and special assessments contributes significantly to the local economy and services. TAT and GET revenues generated from our property help fund essential county services. These County revenues will drop dramatically if STRs are eliminated! The UH study indicates that visitor spending could be reduced by $900 million if the ban passes. This would be devastating to the local economy, not to mention detrimental to livelihoods and bankrupt people in the service and tourism industries. How will the county function with such a reduced tax revenue?
I have heard concerns about “families forced to leave.” However, with the passage of Bill 9, the employees of tourism and related businesses and services will be forced to leave as well.
It is uncertain that the Minatoya properties will provide affordable long-term housing, or that it will be the proper solution. The storage, utility and infrastructure elements of our property are not designed to meet the needs of permanent/long-term housing.
What other options have been considered? What would be a balanced approach that is constructive for all stakeholders? Solutions could include a balance between legislation to control future building of STRs and building more affordable housing. Tourism tax dollars, including my own tax payments, would contribute to this effort.
I consider Kahana Village my Maui home and I contribute responsibly to the well-being of the community and the local economy. Having owned since 1984, we have brought tens of thousands of dollars into the Maui economy. I hope to be able to continue to do so! I am asking for a balanced, win/win solution. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully Submitted,
Pat Byrne
Aloha,
I strongly appose of Bill 9 which proposes to phase out short term rental rights for condominiums located in an apartment zoning district. Papakea resort is located in this apartment area yet they are permitted under existing H2 zoning. This would be a violation of vested property rights. Owners under H2 zoning should have the right to continue short term rentals. I ask that you please reconsider Bill 9.
We are owners of a short-term rental unit in Kihei purchased only in 2020. Prior to our purchase we were consistent visitors to Maui for over 30 years. We finally had the opportunity to purchase a unit and did so with the intention to use the property for ourselves, for family and to rent it on a short-term basis both to assist with the mortgage payment as well as to enable others to enjoy the beauty of Maui. It is our position that the current proposal under consideration would be devastating for Maui County, for businesses and employees in the county and would do next to nothing to solve the housing crisis face in Maui. There are three, key reasons we ask that this bill be rejected:
1. The revenue that short-terms rentals contribute to the state of Hawaii as well as to Maui County are substantial. We would like to point out that not only have we financed our unit through a Hawaii state bank, we also use that same bank's account services to manage our income and expenses (which do not exceed our monthly mortgage payment by the way so we are not 'making' money on this unit). The tax revenue contributed by short-term rentals is also significant for both the state and county. That includes revenue generated by the rentals themselves as well as from the property taxes we pay which makes up 37% of property tax revenue and which constitute 15% of Maui County's budget.
2. We support local employment, restaurants and other businesses. For example, we have a local property management company who hires local contractors when our unit needs work and repairs and we use a local company to clean our unit in between guests. Our guests frequent the local grocery stores, restaurants and tourist activities. The removal of short-term rentals will devastate these businesses.
3. We do not understand for one minute how removing short-term rentals will do anything to address the issues of affordable housing. First of all, these units were never built for any kind of long-term accommodation. Our unit is 680 square feet with almost no storage available and one parking space. Further, no pets are allowed on the property. It is simply not reasonable to consider a unit like ours as viable long-term housing. Secondly, most of the units being considered by this bill are significantly old. The HOA fees collected to replace aging infrastructure are substantial. Finally, the cost of these units will not be affordable. Even if the county government is successful in driving down the market value of these units, they will cost more than what most people seeking affordable housing would consider manageable. We believe a better approach to providing affordable housing on the island would be to use the tax revenue collected from short-term rental units by the county to build new housing in areas where local residents want to live and where they work. It is our understanding that the regulations and rules in place to govern building on the island are largely responsible for the lack of movement to provide housing, not short-term rentals that are more than 50-60 years old.
In summary, we agree that more needs to be done to accommodate affordable housing for residents on the island of Maui (this is an issue. in our home state of Washington as well FYI) but we believe this proposal will do more harm than good for Maui County and all of its residents. Thus, we are opposed to the passage of this bill.
Respectfully,
Kent Boyle, Theresa Boyle, Timothy Lewis and Sydney Lewis
Unit B309
Maui Sunset
I am a timeshare owner at the Kuleana Club. Like hundreds of others, I own one week per year—not a second home, not an investment property. I return regularly, support local restaurants, spend at neighborhood shops, and have built lasting relationships on the island. Timeshare owners like me are part of a stable community of repeat visitors who care deeply about Maui’s well-being.
I urge you to oppose Bill 9 entirely.
But if it passes, please retain the CD1 amendment exempting timeshares.
Timeshares are not TVRs.
This exemption is a fair, balanced, and lawful solution that protects jobs, housing neutrality, and tax revenue—without compromising the County’s broader goals.
Mahalo for your time, your service, and for considering the perspective of owners like me.
Dennis Cole, Corona, California
Kuleana Club Timeshare Owner
Unit 319 Wk 19
My name is Mitch Myers, As someone who has been visiting Maui for over 30 years and now owns property here, I deeply care about the future of this island—its people, its culture, and its economy. I respectfully oppose the proposed short-term rental ban and urge the Council to consider the broader economic impacts and unintended consequences of such a policy.
According to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO), short-term rentals generate substantial economic benefits for Maui County. The UHERO study found that STRs contribute $728 million annually in visitor spending, support over 10,000 jobs, and generate $160 million in state and local tax revenues. A broad ban would significantly harm Maui’s economy, which is fundamentally built on tourism, and undermine the standard of living for many local residents who depend on these jobs directly or indirectly.
While I fully support the need for affordable housing solutions for local residents, the proposal as it stands is overly broad. Some properties on the Minatoya list are clearly unsuitable for local housing—resort-style complexes or units within areas not designed for year-round residential life. It makes no common or practical sense to include these in the STR phase-out. I urge the County to differentiate between truly residential communities and commercial-resort zones.
Let’s also acknowledge that no single solution will resolve Maui’s housing crisis. The right path is a balanced approach: modest reductions in STRs where appropriate, reinvestment of tourism revenues into workforce housing, and development of new housing projects tailored for local needs. Eliminating STRs wholesale would devastate the very economy that funds community services and provides upward mobility for residents.
I urge the County to pursue comprehensive, data-driven solutions—not reactionary policies that risk long-term economic damage.
Respectfully, Mitch Myers