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)
ATTN: Maui Planning Commission
We are writing to express our strong opposition to the proposed phasing out of short-term rentals (STRs and TVRs) on the Minatoya List in Maui. We respectfully urge the Planning Commission to recommend a denial of this proposal.
We are deeply concerned about the economic harm this phase-out would bring to Maui. Eliminating over 7,000 vacation rentals would result in significant job losses and a major decline in revenue—impacting not only property owners, but also the many local businesses and workers who rely on tourism for their livelihood. Small businesses throughout Kihei and Maui, including restaurants, cleaning services, repair professionals, and tour operators, would suffer—some may even be forced to close their doors permanently.
We have owned and operated a short-term rental in Kihei for over 30 years. Throughout that time, we have consistently hired local small businesses for all our service and maintenance needs. The ripple effect of losing these businesses would be devastating for the local economy.
While we agree that Maui needs more affordable long-term housing, we firmly believe that eliminating permitted STRs is not the solution. There are more balanced, constructive approaches to addressing housing needs without jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of residents.
Please vote in opposition to revoking the right to operate STRs and TVRs in Minatoya-listed properties.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Tina Morris
S. Kihei Rd
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed ban on short-term rentals in Maui County. (Just for the record I am a born and raised resident here on Maui)
As a housekeeper who relies on this industry for my livelihood, I want to highlight the adverse effects this ban would have on my financial stability and my family's well-being.
The short-term rental market has provided me with a steady source of income, allowing me to support my family and meet our financial obligations. If this ban is enacted, I will lose a significant portion of my clients, leading to a drastic reduction in my income. This loss not only impacts my ability to pay bills and provide for my family but also threatens our overall housing stability.
Furthermore, the ripple effects of this ban extend beyond my personal situation. Many families in our community depend on the short-term rental industry for their livelihoods, and the loss of these jobs would contribute to increased unemployment and economic hardship for countless households. The potential influx of vacant properties could also exacerbate our housing crisis, as more homes will be taken off the market for long-term rentals.
I urge you to reconsider the implications of this ban on the hardworking individuals and families in our community. Instead, let's work together to find solutions that support both the local economy and our housing needs.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.
I strongly oppose the proposal to eliminate 7,000 short-term rental units in Maui. The local economy and tourism industry are already struggling, and restricting rental opportunities will only make things worse. Allowing homeowners to rent their properties supports jobs, stimulates economic activity, and helps keep Maui attractive to visitors.
Taking away the ability for longtime homeowners to rent their properties threatens livelihoods and could cause a major sell-off, further hurting the community. The free market should be allowed to function, giving people the freedom to use their property as they see fit. Most homeowners simply want to provide for their families and contribute to the local economy. This bill would punish responsible property owners and undermine Maui’s recovery. Please reconsider and support policies that help, not harm, our community.
Subject: My Position on the STR Bill
Aloha,
I am a self employed Housekeeper for STR in Kihei and wailea for the last 15 year!
Most likely I would need to find new work but there is an abundance of cleaning jobs and surely these units will still need to be cleaned and maintained, even for the owners and guests of the owners.
I’ve been asked by several realtors and property managers to oppose the bill that would phase out short-term rentals in our community. I want to be transparent: I do not oppose the bill.
As someone who lives and works here, I’ve seen firsthand how STRs have driven up housing costs and made it nearly impossible for local families to find stable, long-term homes. Our neighborhoods have shifted from places where people live and grow roots to places that sit empty or cater only to visitors.
I understand this bill would require a shift in the industry—but it won’t stop tourism, nor will it take away all jobs. It will simply force us to adapt in a way that better serves the local community. We need that change.
I know this may not be the popular opinion among those in real estate, but I believe it’s time we prioritize housing for residents over profits from part-time rentals.
We own a condo at the Ekahi. We purchased it in 2022 for what we believed was a FMV. We love Maui. We have family on Maui. Our property value has been destroyed by the fires and this bill. Our unit was never designed for long term living. It’s a hotel room. No garage. No storage. HOAs of almost $2k a month. We relied on the zoning. We bought trusting Maui. We have been devastated financially by the fires and this vote. We are a young family with young kids who believe in Maui. Their are other better options for Maui rather than taking our ability to rent and afford our condo.
Aloha Maui County Council, My name is Melanie, and I have been fortunate to call Maui home since 2006. I am a full-time resident and currently work for a property management company that has been significantly impacted by the recent decline in tourism.
I’d like to share my perspective on what the proposed phase-out of short-term rentals could mean for my family and for the local community I have grown to love and serve over the past 19 years. My job, like many others, depends directly on visitors who choose to stay in short-term rentals. Many of our guests return year after year because they appreciate the local charm and personalized experience these accommodations provide. They support our local restaurants, shops, and activity companies—helping sustain the businesses that make Maui so special.
If visitors no longer have access to vacation rentals, the consequences will ripple far beyond just my family of five. It will affect countless other families and local businesses across the island. My company employs over 80 people—people I consider my Maui 'ohana. These are hardworking residents who rely on tourism to provide for their families. Removing this vital part of our economy would be devastating for many.
My husband and I have worked incredibly hard to build a life here. We are committed members of our community—we coach, teach, and volunteer. Our jobs are filled by local workers. If those jobs disappear, how are these families expected to survive?
We support efforts to address Maui's housing crisis, but we believe that real, sustainable solutions must involve collaboration—not blanket policies that eliminate critical sources of income for working families. Taking away jobs does not solve the housing problem; it compounds it.
We need the county’s support not only in housing but also in protecting local employment, education (my husband is a teacher), essential services, and responsible economic growth. We ask that you do not move forward with this phase-out as currently proposed. Instead, we urge you to work with our community to find balanced solutions that protect both our people and our future.
Mahalo for your time, consideration, and commitment to listening to the voices of Maui’s residents.
Hello Chair Kama, Vice Chair U‘u-Hodgins, and Members of the HLUC Committee
My name is Cypriano Way of Kahului, and I am submitting testimony in support of Bill 9.
The County of Maui is experiencing an immediate and present housing crisis. Even before the wildfire that swept through and destroyed much of Lahaina, it's not a secret that Maui has for a long time been experiencing what the rest of the state has experienced in terms of high housing costs. It has thus contributed to a growing outflow of people from not just Maui but the rest of the state due to it being economically unsustainable for many families to continue living here. I want to be able to consider Hawai'i in my long term future, and our elected leaders and officials, must even consider radical and aggressive proposals to address our existing housing crisis.
This committee today can provide a path forward and be an example for the rest of the state to properly address the issue of high housing costs and the chronic issue of STRs and vacation rentals being used to exploit and price out those within our local communities. Increasing the supply of housing, paired with aggressive oversight and regulations of existing housing supply is what is needed to protect our local communities and to provide a pathway for them to still consider Hawai'i as a place to stay and one for people can carve out a future in. As I hope this council knows, Maui's water supply situation makes it unfeasible to build housing to increase the housing supply. Therefore, it would be appropriate to crack open the Minatoya List and allow them to used to house our local populace.
I understand that tourism is the greatest contributor to our State's economy, and the greatest generator of revenues and that many living on the island, are employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. I come from a family that has worked in hotels either as guest concierge, as bellman, and as engineers/maintenance. It is why I support the passage of Bill 9, to give back to our hard working families, to ensure a fair and equitable environment where those who toil to support out State's economy, are able to be able to afford the housing they need. It should not be lost that access to housing, to shelter, is a universal human right, a right which has long been denied for many and that has come into conflict with the tourism industry, as a main source for employment and generating revenue not just for this county, but throughout the State. I feel as if, we especially owe it to them, that we endeavor to support their needs through just and equitable means. I do not deny the Council's responsibility to balance these interests, I do argue however, that the passage of Bill 9 does in fact equitably balance these interests. So please, I humbly request this committee to support and pass Bill 9. Thank you.
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 9 (ORIGINAL VERSION BY GABE JOHNSON)
AND IN OPPOSITION TO THE RECENT AMENDMENT BY TASHA KAMA
Submitted to: Maui County Council
Date: June 9, 2025
From: Lala Johnson of Waiehu
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
My name is Lala johnson, and I am a resident of Waiehu and a member of a community that has been directly impacted by the housing crisis here on Maui.
I am submitting this testimony in strong support of Bill 9, as originally introduced by Councilmember Gabe Johnson. This bill reflects the will of the people, and honors the urgent need to protect housing for local families, not for-profit interests.
Bill 9 was thoughtfully crafted to respond to a critical reality: our working families, kūpuna, and keiki are being pushed out of their communities, priced out of rentals, and left with no place to call home. This bill, as written by Councilmember Johnson, is a necessary and courageous step toward justice and stability for Maui’s people.
However, I must also express my firm opposition to the recent amendment proposed by Councilmember Tasha Kama. Her amendment undermines the intent and integrity of the original bill. Instead of centering the needs of residents, it opens loopholes that benefit investors, corporations, and short-term profits.
We cannot afford to weaken Bill 9. Maui’s housing crisis is not a theoretical issue, it’s a daily struggle for survival for our families, teachers, essential workers, and youth. Every delay, every amendment that serves the few over the many, is a betrayal of our values.
I urge this Council to do what is pono: Pass Bill 9 in its original form as introduced by Councilmember Gabe Johnson. Stand with the people, not with those seeking to profit from our displacement.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
With deep aloha,
Lala Johnson
Kanaka Maoli
I strongly support HLU-4 Bill 9 in phasing out STR's on the Minatoya list. This is a crucial step in the right direction to increase housing availability for local residents.
I am native Hawaiian, lucky enough to have been born and raised in Kihei, Hawai'i and continue to live here. That is such a sad statement, but a harsh reality for many native Hawaiians who are displaced on the cotenant due to lack of stable housing. Like many locals, I live in a multi generation home. This may seem unconventional for many outsiders, but it works or many of us. And when I say "it works" I mean that we will make it work. We would all rather live 4 generations under one crammed living space then be forced to move from our homelands. But oh would I love a little ol condo to rent.
Growing up in Kihei, it was surely the tourist side of the island, but locals were still here. When I went to school, still had local and native Hawaiian kids and teachers, still had Suda store, Ulua beach, Kam 3 and the boat ramp was for locals. I would see familiar faces at the store. Tourist would stay at the hotels and condos were left to the community. Now it's a sad reminder of the negative impacts STR's can have on the fabric that make up a small community.
Phasing out STR's on the Minatoya list is a commonsense bill as it regulates compliance with zoning and building codes and promotes fairness and legal compliance for all property owners and business. Phasing them out hill help preserve our community as it will help keep locals here. STR's bring in transient visitors who don't contribute to our community. Fear mongers will say phasing out STR's will destroy economy. But they are usually the condo owners benefiting from these STR's who don't even live here. They know nothing of our community, nor do they send their kids to local school, use any county services, or advocate to preserve local/native Hawaiian culture. I'd love to see how much they pay into our community. Do you pay your service provider (handyman, cleaner, property manager) a livable wage? Livable meaning are they able to afford to live in the community they serve? Do you support them unionizing? How are your guests supporting our local restaurants if they can cook all of their meals in your kitchen? We know all of the negative effects that STR's can have on a small community because we live it every day. You do not. You see the $$$.
Let the tourist stay in the hotels and open up the Minatoya list to the community. We do NOT need to be building more "affordable" homes when we are consistently in drought. We need to increase housing availability for local residents so we can stay here and work here. I strongly urge you to support this bill as it is your job to serve this community, not outside investors.
Whether you are for or against at STR’s this proposal to eliminate up to 7,000 of them is not the solution. STR’s are like sports cars. They’re typically small, expensive for their size, can’t fit a family, are costly to maintain and insure. That’s why people generally do not live in them but instead rent them to splurge like when they are on holiday.
Maui has a housing crisis. If the county can’t immediately help the dozen or so poor souls who have set up a dump site encampment that is shocking to look at a tenth of a mile from our nicest and newest grocery store (Safeway on Pulehu) then what makes you think it can help thousands of people in need of homes?
This legislation, if passed, will immediately trigger lawsuits against the county and become costly and time consuming and will undermine any good intentions it might bring.
I fully oppose this legislation. I support building new homes and putting people to work building and servicing those homes. Taking away STR’s is wrong and won’t work out the way they’re selling it to the public. Let the free market decide. Economics drive people. Economics drive markets. Economics create balance..
I oppose this legislation and I hope you do too. Government should not meddle with the free market. It’s been proven over and over that most of the time it gets involved it only creates more red tape, inefficiency, expense, and disappointment.
Dear Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
Our names are Daniela Corbetta and Todd Freeberg. We own a private short-term rental property in Maui County. We wish to express our deep concerns about enacting Mayor Bissen’s proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
We love Maui, the culture, the people, the ocean, and all the conservation efforts that are made to preserve the beauty of the island, its wildlife, and natural habitats. We even started to volunteer at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge to help restore native plants. Because of our love of Maui, we work very hard to rent responsibly and we try our best to support the community and environment. We provide lots of information to our guests to ensure that they visit Maui as responsible travelers. We ask them to recycle, conserve water, be respectful of the community, and mindful of the ocean and environment by using reef safe sun lotion and limiting single use plastics. We also recommend many local restaurants and tour guides. We employ local residents for housekeeping, maintenance repairs, and management, with whom we built a great and friendly relationship. Our guests leave Maui with beautiful memories, a positive and unique experience, and build an inimitable connection to the island. Some of them develop the same love we have for Maui and end up returning regularly.
Vacation rentals are the strongest supporters of local businesses. Visitors routinely access restaurants, grocery stores, and varied businesses, and provide millions of dollars to the island. We can’t imagine the devastating effect Bill 9 would have on so many local people and their businesses, the number of jobs lost, not to say the impact on the island economy if vacations rentals are phased out. We sincerely hope this will be taken into account when decisions are made on this bill. We feel strongly for the people we are connected to and who are in need of tourists to feed their families and to afford living on the island.
Maintaining our condo comes with heavy fees. We have significant monthly owner association fees, maintenance costs, constant updates to our condo and its complex, special assessments, and we have faced massive increases in insurance after the fires. These are costs we are willing to undertake to ensure the safety and functionality of the property. Renting our unit helps defray those costs while supporting local workers.
This legislation feels quite drastic, unilateral, and taken without broad consideration of the chain reaction it will afflict to its local residents. We urge the Council to work with short-term rental owners to find a reasonable and sensible solution that protects local jobs, supports the economy, and holds STR owners to high standards, instead of phasing us out completely.
We thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniela Corbetta & Todd Freeberg
865-208-8519 / 865-208-8466
dmcorbetta02@gmail.com / todd.freeberg@gmail.com
The question is… if you take away all these tvr’s. Who is going to buy them? People on island already or off islanders?
If off islanders, how does that help the “fire victims “ or the citizens already here in need of affordable housing?
What is the “collateral damage “ that could be caused by this action?
The ripple effect of this may be way worse than expected!!
If being tabled till 2030 as proposed, really makes it not about the fire victims and something else.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee,
My name is [Your Name], and I am testifying in strong support of this bill.
I’ve heard the objections — and I want to speak to them directly.
“I followed the rules.”
I respect that. But those rules were created before the housing crisis became a full-blown emergency. Policy must respond to reality. And right now, our reality is that local families are being pushed out while investment properties sit empty for most of the year.
“I need this income.”
So do our teachers, our healthcare workers, our restaurant staff — all the people who keep Maui running. What happens when they have nowhere to live? When businesses can’t find employees? That loss of income is far more damaging in the long term.
“Tourism supports the economy.”
Yes, but it cannot come at the cost of our communities. This bill doesn’t shut down tourism — it protects its foundation: the people. Without them, tourism cannot survive.
We’re not asking you to fix everything today. But we are asking you to take a courageous step forward — to prioritize housing for residents over short-term profit, and to protect the future of this island.
Please pass this bill.
Maui should be a place where our people can live, work, and raise their families — not just a place others come to vacation.
Mahalo for your leadership and for standing with our community.
TechNet must respectfully oppose Bill 9(2025), which would phase out short term rentals or “Transient Vacation Rentals (TVRs)” and prohibit new TVRs, by reverting zoning ordinances of all Apartment District properties to long-term residential use only and discontinuing TVRs in Apartment Districts. Such proposed ordinance would undermine and disrupt the digital tools powering the tourism economy in the County of Maui
TechNet is the national, bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of the innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the federal and 50-state level. TechNet’s diverse membership includes dynamic American businesses ranging from startups to the most iconic companies on the planet and represents five million employees and countless customers in the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, the sharing and gig economies, advanced energy, transportation, cybersecurity, venture capital, and finance.
Bill 9 poses serious risks to the local economy. TVRs have become a critical part of Hawaii’s tourism infrastructure. The elimination of TVRs will have immediate and far-reaching consequences for the local economy. Eliminating lodging options for visitors would discourage travel to the island, reduce tourism spending, and undermine local entrepreneurship which thousands of residents rely on to generate income. Local hosts use digital platforms to manage bookings, attract guests, and offer unique locally rooted experiences. Heavy-handed proposals like fully eliminating TVRs would force local residents and entrepreneurs out of a vital income stream.
TVRs are a backbone of the economy on the island and represent a significant share of the state’s tourism market. They generate considerable economic activity beyond just the rental transaction itself. Visitors staying in TVRs spend money at local restaurants, grocery stores, small retailers, activity providers, and other service businesses, many of which are locally owned. Removing TVRs in such a sweeping fashion will create a ripple effect across Maui’s economy.
In 2023, 29.6% of visitors stayed in a TVR and spent an estimated $6.1 billion. Within Maui Island, visitors staying in a TVR spent an estimated $2.2 billion. Additionally, spending by Maui Island TVR visitors in 2023 generated an estimated $45.5 million in County General Excise Tax and Transient Accommodations Tax.
Eliminating this significant source of economic activity, particularly without viable alternatives in places for property owners or displaced visitors, threatens to undermine Maui’s broader recovery and long-term economic resilience. This bill represents a substantial shift in long-standing policy, removing the rights of property owners and platforms that have operated in reliance on previously established laws. More time is needed to study and understand the great impacts a proposal like this would create.
Sincerely,
Jose Torres
Deputy Executive Director, TechNet
Dear Chair Kama, Vice Chair Uʻu-Hodgins, and Members of the Housing and Land Use Committee:
I am a Maui resident with family that has lived on the island for many years. We have grown children that were born and raised on the island, and they are now raising their own families on Maui. My husband and I also own a legal vacation rental condo at the Mahina Surf.
Mahina Surf was initially marketed and sold as a legal vacation rental property before any zoning restrictions limited transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned properties for almost fifty years.
Mahina Surf has never been workforce housing, so Mahina Surf is not an example of a property that converted from workforce housing to transient vacation rental use.
The majority of units at Mahina Surf are under 600 square feet, and the property has limited parking.
Owners purchased units at Mahina Surf with the reasonable expectation that short-term rentals were legal based on ordinances as far back as 1989. In reliance on the Maui County ordinances and published documents, Hawaii state law, and constitutional protections, owners invested in costly renovations, furnishings, and long-term financial commitments such as mortgages that make any phase out of short-term rental rights offensive to each buyer’s investment-backed expectations.
Mahina Surf provides full-time, benefited, employment for local resident employees; some have worked at the property for over 25 years.
Mahina Surf supports a wide variety of local trade professionals including pest control, HVAC, painting, plumbing, electrical, general contracting, masonry, flooring, and tree trimming.
As with any major legislation, you cannot expect to maintain peace in a community without compromise.
I thank the members of the committee for their service and for taking the time to read my testimony in opposition of Bill 9.
I support Bill 9.
We need a path for OUR COMMUNITY to create generational wealth not continue on the highway of wealth for outside investors. South Maui will be greatly affected by this but our representative is busy stumping for Wailea 670 & Ledcor luxury development.
Where is the math? We MUST all ask ourselves these questions.How many Legal USA citizens were fire victims that are still in need of homes? Are they qualified to buy a home or what is the rent they can afford? How many new apartments and homes are already in process of being built? Restaurants and their vendors on Maui are struggling, due to drastic drop in tourism. The short term vacation rentals are struggling to get current and future reservations due to our own governments threats to shut them down. Heaven forbid they shut approx 7,000 Short Term vacation rentals down, because it will cause all other businesses that cater to tourists to close. We need these businesses and short term rentals to survive so we all can survive No Jobs for locals, and nobody will be able to afford renting those vacation rentals long term etc…
Bottom line is the transients are NOT owed housing, and the 51,000 illegal undocumented immigrants in Hawaii must be deported. Hawai’i Governor Josh Green wants to build 60,000 homes in Hawai’i to accommodate the 51,000 illegals.
We don’t have the water, electric grid or resources for current legal residents (we are on water rations on Maui currently).
Yes we must allow rebuilding and replace homes lost in Lahaina, for Lahaina homeowners.
Example: Did you know that the average family of three uses about 144 gallons of water per day? So imagine if we built 60,000 news homes!!!!
60,0000 new homes
X 144 gallons per day
==============
8,640,000 additional gallons PER Day will be needed in Hawaii.
That is NOT sustainable.
Poorly planned and financially incorrect for locations on the carrying costs. Monthly HOA fees of $1700, mortgage costs $5300 per month. Electrical costs are $400 per month Minimum rental agreement would be $7400 per month to cover the costs of this unit. Is there a local Hawaiian that wishes to pay this amount??
Special Assessments of $50,000 over two years = an additional $2000 per month of costs. If needed to finance a loan rate of 5% interest or make sure you have savings in hand to pay the full bill. Is there a local Hawaiian that has these funds available to cover and support?
We employee local cleaner, handy man and on island guest agent with the annual cost of $18000 that will no longer be included in the local economy, plus the addition $18000 annual state and local taxes that our unit generates. $36000 lost from the local economy, plus the expenditures of our renters on Groceries, rental cars, Dining, excursions. This well exceedes the UHERO estimates for the basic Minatoya Unit.
Clearly the UHERO submission did not clearly outline the true values locations on the Minatoya list and many others. This plan is not well thought out. The council need to use accurate economic data before coming to any conclusions. Special interest groups have overly simplified the real costs of these units and are clearly uninformed.
Most agree that the cost of housing on Maui has gotten to a critical point that will cause many to have to move away. Leaving employment vacancies in many important roles like teachers, medical staff, police & fire, general services and more.
Continued high cost of housing will have a domino effect on our community that will have an ill effect on us all. This bill is part of addressing housing and is not the silver bullet, however, it’s a start.
ATTN: Maui Planning Commission
We are writing to express our strong opposition to the proposed phasing out of short-term rentals (STRs and TVRs) on the Minatoya List in Maui. We respectfully urge the Planning Commission to recommend a denial of this proposal.
We are deeply concerned about the economic harm this phase-out would bring to Maui. Eliminating over 7,000 vacation rentals would result in significant job losses and a major decline in revenue—impacting not only property owners, but also the many local businesses and workers who rely on tourism for their livelihood. Small businesses throughout Kihei and Maui, including restaurants, cleaning services, repair professionals, and tour operators, would suffer—some may even be forced to close their doors permanently.
We have owned and operated a short-term rental in Kihei for over 30 years. Throughout that time, we have consistently hired local small businesses for all our service and maintenance needs. The ripple effect of losing these businesses would be devastating for the local economy.
While we agree that Maui needs more affordable long-term housing, we firmly believe that eliminating permitted STRs is not the solution. There are more balanced, constructive approaches to addressing housing needs without jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of residents.
Please vote in opposition to revoking the right to operate STRs and TVRs in Minatoya-listed properties.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Tina Morris
S. Kihei Rd
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed ban on short-term rentals in Maui County. (Just for the record I am a born and raised resident here on Maui)
As a housekeeper who relies on this industry for my livelihood, I want to highlight the adverse effects this ban would have on my financial stability and my family's well-being.
The short-term rental market has provided me with a steady source of income, allowing me to support my family and meet our financial obligations. If this ban is enacted, I will lose a significant portion of my clients, leading to a drastic reduction in my income. This loss not only impacts my ability to pay bills and provide for my family but also threatens our overall housing stability.
Furthermore, the ripple effects of this ban extend beyond my personal situation. Many families in our community depend on the short-term rental industry for their livelihoods, and the loss of these jobs would contribute to increased unemployment and economic hardship for countless households. The potential influx of vacant properties could also exacerbate our housing crisis, as more homes will be taken off the market for long-term rentals.
I urge you to reconsider the implications of this ban on the hardworking individuals and families in our community. Instead, let's work together to find solutions that support both the local economy and our housing needs.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.
I strongly oppose the proposal to eliminate 7,000 short-term rental units in Maui. The local economy and tourism industry are already struggling, and restricting rental opportunities will only make things worse. Allowing homeowners to rent their properties supports jobs, stimulates economic activity, and helps keep Maui attractive to visitors.
Taking away the ability for longtime homeowners to rent their properties threatens livelihoods and could cause a major sell-off, further hurting the community. The free market should be allowed to function, giving people the freedom to use their property as they see fit. Most homeowners simply want to provide for their families and contribute to the local economy. This bill would punish responsible property owners and undermine Maui’s recovery. Please reconsider and support policies that help, not harm, our community.
Subject: My Position on the STR Bill
Aloha,
I am a self employed Housekeeper for STR in Kihei and wailea for the last 15 year!
Most likely I would need to find new work but there is an abundance of cleaning jobs and surely these units will still need to be cleaned and maintained, even for the owners and guests of the owners.
I’ve been asked by several realtors and property managers to oppose the bill that would phase out short-term rentals in our community. I want to be transparent: I do not oppose the bill.
As someone who lives and works here, I’ve seen firsthand how STRs have driven up housing costs and made it nearly impossible for local families to find stable, long-term homes. Our neighborhoods have shifted from places where people live and grow roots to places that sit empty or cater only to visitors.
I understand this bill would require a shift in the industry—but it won’t stop tourism, nor will it take away all jobs. It will simply force us to adapt in a way that better serves the local community. We need that change.
I know this may not be the popular opinion among those in real estate, but I believe it’s time we prioritize housing for residents over profits from part-time rentals.
Thank you for understanding where I stand.
We own a condo at the Ekahi. We purchased it in 2022 for what we believed was a FMV. We love Maui. We have family on Maui. Our property value has been destroyed by the fires and this bill. Our unit was never designed for long term living. It’s a hotel room. No garage. No storage. HOAs of almost $2k a month. We relied on the zoning. We bought trusting Maui. We have been devastated financially by the fires and this vote. We are a young family with young kids who believe in Maui. Their are other better options for Maui rather than taking our ability to rent and afford our condo.
Aloha Maui County Council, My name is Melanie, and I have been fortunate to call Maui home since 2006. I am a full-time resident and currently work for a property management company that has been significantly impacted by the recent decline in tourism.
I’d like to share my perspective on what the proposed phase-out of short-term rentals could mean for my family and for the local community I have grown to love and serve over the past 19 years. My job, like many others, depends directly on visitors who choose to stay in short-term rentals. Many of our guests return year after year because they appreciate the local charm and personalized experience these accommodations provide. They support our local restaurants, shops, and activity companies—helping sustain the businesses that make Maui so special.
If visitors no longer have access to vacation rentals, the consequences will ripple far beyond just my family of five. It will affect countless other families and local businesses across the island. My company employs over 80 people—people I consider my Maui 'ohana. These are hardworking residents who rely on tourism to provide for their families. Removing this vital part of our economy would be devastating for many.
My husband and I have worked incredibly hard to build a life here. We are committed members of our community—we coach, teach, and volunteer. Our jobs are filled by local workers. If those jobs disappear, how are these families expected to survive?
We support efforts to address Maui's housing crisis, but we believe that real, sustainable solutions must involve collaboration—not blanket policies that eliminate critical sources of income for working families. Taking away jobs does not solve the housing problem; it compounds it.
We need the county’s support not only in housing but also in protecting local employment, education (my husband is a teacher), essential services, and responsible economic growth. We ask that you do not move forward with this phase-out as currently proposed. Instead, we urge you to work with our community to find balanced solutions that protect both our people and our future.
Mahalo for your time, consideration, and commitment to listening to the voices of Maui’s residents.
I support Bill 9! Protect the residents!
Hello Chair Kama, Vice Chair U‘u-Hodgins, and Members of the HLUC Committee
My name is Cypriano Way of Kahului, and I am submitting testimony in support of Bill 9.
The County of Maui is experiencing an immediate and present housing crisis. Even before the wildfire that swept through and destroyed much of Lahaina, it's not a secret that Maui has for a long time been experiencing what the rest of the state has experienced in terms of high housing costs. It has thus contributed to a growing outflow of people from not just Maui but the rest of the state due to it being economically unsustainable for many families to continue living here. I want to be able to consider Hawai'i in my long term future, and our elected leaders and officials, must even consider radical and aggressive proposals to address our existing housing crisis.
This committee today can provide a path forward and be an example for the rest of the state to properly address the issue of high housing costs and the chronic issue of STRs and vacation rentals being used to exploit and price out those within our local communities. Increasing the supply of housing, paired with aggressive oversight and regulations of existing housing supply is what is needed to protect our local communities and to provide a pathway for them to still consider Hawai'i as a place to stay and one for people can carve out a future in. As I hope this council knows, Maui's water supply situation makes it unfeasible to build housing to increase the housing supply. Therefore, it would be appropriate to crack open the Minatoya List and allow them to used to house our local populace.
I understand that tourism is the greatest contributor to our State's economy, and the greatest generator of revenues and that many living on the island, are employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. I come from a family that has worked in hotels either as guest concierge, as bellman, and as engineers/maintenance. It is why I support the passage of Bill 9, to give back to our hard working families, to ensure a fair and equitable environment where those who toil to support out State's economy, are able to be able to afford the housing they need. It should not be lost that access to housing, to shelter, is a universal human right, a right which has long been denied for many and that has come into conflict with the tourism industry, as a main source for employment and generating revenue not just for this county, but throughout the State. I feel as if, we especially owe it to them, that we endeavor to support their needs through just and equitable means. I do not deny the Council's responsibility to balance these interests, I do argue however, that the passage of Bill 9 does in fact equitably balance these interests. So please, I humbly request this committee to support and pass Bill 9. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Cypriano E. Way
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 9 (ORIGINAL VERSION BY GABE JOHNSON)
AND IN OPPOSITION TO THE RECENT AMENDMENT BY TASHA KAMA
Submitted to: Maui County Council
Date: June 9, 2025
From: Lala Johnson of Waiehu
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
My name is Lala johnson, and I am a resident of Waiehu and a member of a community that has been directly impacted by the housing crisis here on Maui.
I am submitting this testimony in strong support of Bill 9, as originally introduced by Councilmember Gabe Johnson. This bill reflects the will of the people, and honors the urgent need to protect housing for local families, not for-profit interests.
Bill 9 was thoughtfully crafted to respond to a critical reality: our working families, kūpuna, and keiki are being pushed out of their communities, priced out of rentals, and left with no place to call home. This bill, as written by Councilmember Johnson, is a necessary and courageous step toward justice and stability for Maui’s people.
However, I must also express my firm opposition to the recent amendment proposed by Councilmember Tasha Kama. Her amendment undermines the intent and integrity of the original bill. Instead of centering the needs of residents, it opens loopholes that benefit investors, corporations, and short-term profits.
We cannot afford to weaken Bill 9. Maui’s housing crisis is not a theoretical issue, it’s a daily struggle for survival for our families, teachers, essential workers, and youth. Every delay, every amendment that serves the few over the many, is a betrayal of our values.
I urge this Council to do what is pono: Pass Bill 9 in its original form as introduced by Councilmember Gabe Johnson. Stand with the people, not with those seeking to profit from our displacement.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
With deep aloha,
Lala Johnson
Kanaka Maoli
Aloha Maui County Council Members
I strongly support HLU-4 Bill 9 in phasing out STR's on the Minatoya list. This is a crucial step in the right direction to increase housing availability for local residents.
I am native Hawaiian, lucky enough to have been born and raised in Kihei, Hawai'i and continue to live here. That is such a sad statement, but a harsh reality for many native Hawaiians who are displaced on the cotenant due to lack of stable housing. Like many locals, I live in a multi generation home. This may seem unconventional for many outsiders, but it works or many of us. And when I say "it works" I mean that we will make it work. We would all rather live 4 generations under one crammed living space then be forced to move from our homelands. But oh would I love a little ol condo to rent.
Growing up in Kihei, it was surely the tourist side of the island, but locals were still here. When I went to school, still had local and native Hawaiian kids and teachers, still had Suda store, Ulua beach, Kam 3 and the boat ramp was for locals. I would see familiar faces at the store. Tourist would stay at the hotels and condos were left to the community. Now it's a sad reminder of the negative impacts STR's can have on the fabric that make up a small community.
Phasing out STR's on the Minatoya list is a commonsense bill as it regulates compliance with zoning and building codes and promotes fairness and legal compliance for all property owners and business. Phasing them out hill help preserve our community as it will help keep locals here. STR's bring in transient visitors who don't contribute to our community. Fear mongers will say phasing out STR's will destroy economy. But they are usually the condo owners benefiting from these STR's who don't even live here. They know nothing of our community, nor do they send their kids to local school, use any county services, or advocate to preserve local/native Hawaiian culture. I'd love to see how much they pay into our community. Do you pay your service provider (handyman, cleaner, property manager) a livable wage? Livable meaning are they able to afford to live in the community they serve? Do you support them unionizing? How are your guests supporting our local restaurants if they can cook all of their meals in your kitchen? We know all of the negative effects that STR's can have on a small community because we live it every day. You do not. You see the $$$.
Let the tourist stay in the hotels and open up the Minatoya list to the community. We do NOT need to be building more "affordable" homes when we are consistently in drought. We need to increase housing availability for local residents so we can stay here and work here. I strongly urge you to support this bill as it is your job to serve this community, not outside investors.
No more Hawai'i without Hawaiians.
Mahalo
Whether you are for or against at STR’s this proposal to eliminate up to 7,000 of them is not the solution. STR’s are like sports cars. They’re typically small, expensive for their size, can’t fit a family, are costly to maintain and insure. That’s why people generally do not live in them but instead rent them to splurge like when they are on holiday.
Maui has a housing crisis. If the county can’t immediately help the dozen or so poor souls who have set up a dump site encampment that is shocking to look at a tenth of a mile from our nicest and newest grocery store (Safeway on Pulehu) then what makes you think it can help thousands of people in need of homes?
This legislation, if passed, will immediately trigger lawsuits against the county and become costly and time consuming and will undermine any good intentions it might bring.
I fully oppose this legislation. I support building new homes and putting people to work building and servicing those homes. Taking away STR’s is wrong and won’t work out the way they’re selling it to the public. Let the free market decide. Economics drive people. Economics drive markets. Economics create balance..
I oppose this legislation and I hope you do too. Government should not meddle with the free market. It’s been proven over and over that most of the time it gets involved it only creates more red tape, inefficiency, expense, and disappointment.
Dear Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Members,
Our names are Daniela Corbetta and Todd Freeberg. We own a private short-term rental property in Maui County. We wish to express our deep concerns about enacting Mayor Bissen’s proposed legislation to phase out more than 7,000 vacation rentals.
We love Maui, the culture, the people, the ocean, and all the conservation efforts that are made to preserve the beauty of the island, its wildlife, and natural habitats. We even started to volunteer at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge to help restore native plants. Because of our love of Maui, we work very hard to rent responsibly and we try our best to support the community and environment. We provide lots of information to our guests to ensure that they visit Maui as responsible travelers. We ask them to recycle, conserve water, be respectful of the community, and mindful of the ocean and environment by using reef safe sun lotion and limiting single use plastics. We also recommend many local restaurants and tour guides. We employ local residents for housekeeping, maintenance repairs, and management, with whom we built a great and friendly relationship. Our guests leave Maui with beautiful memories, a positive and unique experience, and build an inimitable connection to the island. Some of them develop the same love we have for Maui and end up returning regularly.
Vacation rentals are the strongest supporters of local businesses. Visitors routinely access restaurants, grocery stores, and varied businesses, and provide millions of dollars to the island. We can’t imagine the devastating effect Bill 9 would have on so many local people and their businesses, the number of jobs lost, not to say the impact on the island economy if vacations rentals are phased out. We sincerely hope this will be taken into account when decisions are made on this bill. We feel strongly for the people we are connected to and who are in need of tourists to feed their families and to afford living on the island.
Maintaining our condo comes with heavy fees. We have significant monthly owner association fees, maintenance costs, constant updates to our condo and its complex, special assessments, and we have faced massive increases in insurance after the fires. These are costs we are willing to undertake to ensure the safety and functionality of the property. Renting our unit helps defray those costs while supporting local workers.
This legislation feels quite drastic, unilateral, and taken without broad consideration of the chain reaction it will afflict to its local residents. We urge the Council to work with short-term rental owners to find a reasonable and sensible solution that protects local jobs, supports the economy, and holds STR owners to high standards, instead of phasing us out completely.
We thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniela Corbetta & Todd Freeberg
865-208-8519 / 865-208-8466
dmcorbetta02@gmail.com / todd.freeberg@gmail.com
The question is… if you take away all these tvr’s. Who is going to buy them? People on island already or off islanders?
If off islanders, how does that help the “fire victims “ or the citizens already here in need of affordable housing?
What is the “collateral damage “ that could be caused by this action?
The ripple effect of this may be way worse than expected!!
If being tabled till 2030 as proposed, really makes it not about the fire victims and something else.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee,
My name is [Your Name], and I am testifying in strong support of this bill.
I’ve heard the objections — and I want to speak to them directly.
“I followed the rules.”
I respect that. But those rules were created before the housing crisis became a full-blown emergency. Policy must respond to reality. And right now, our reality is that local families are being pushed out while investment properties sit empty for most of the year.
“I need this income.”
So do our teachers, our healthcare workers, our restaurant staff — all the people who keep Maui running. What happens when they have nowhere to live? When businesses can’t find employees? That loss of income is far more damaging in the long term.
“Tourism supports the economy.”
Yes, but it cannot come at the cost of our communities. This bill doesn’t shut down tourism — it protects its foundation: the people. Without them, tourism cannot survive.
We’re not asking you to fix everything today. But we are asking you to take a courageous step forward — to prioritize housing for residents over short-term profit, and to protect the future of this island.
Please pass this bill.
Maui should be a place where our people can live, work, and raise their families — not just a place others come to vacation.
Mahalo for your leadership and for standing with our community.
Dear Chair Kama and Committee members,
TechNet must respectfully oppose Bill 9(2025), which would phase out short term rentals or “Transient Vacation Rentals (TVRs)” and prohibit new TVRs, by reverting zoning ordinances of all Apartment District properties to long-term residential use only and discontinuing TVRs in Apartment Districts. Such proposed ordinance would undermine and disrupt the digital tools powering the tourism economy in the County of Maui
TechNet is the national, bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of the innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the federal and 50-state level. TechNet’s diverse membership includes dynamic American businesses ranging from startups to the most iconic companies on the planet and represents five million employees and countless customers in the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, the sharing and gig economies, advanced energy, transportation, cybersecurity, venture capital, and finance.
Bill 9 poses serious risks to the local economy. TVRs have become a critical part of Hawaii’s tourism infrastructure. The elimination of TVRs will have immediate and far-reaching consequences for the local economy. Eliminating lodging options for visitors would discourage travel to the island, reduce tourism spending, and undermine local entrepreneurship which thousands of residents rely on to generate income. Local hosts use digital platforms to manage bookings, attract guests, and offer unique locally rooted experiences. Heavy-handed proposals like fully eliminating TVRs would force local residents and entrepreneurs out of a vital income stream.
TVRs are a backbone of the economy on the island and represent a significant share of the state’s tourism market. They generate considerable economic activity beyond just the rental transaction itself. Visitors staying in TVRs spend money at local restaurants, grocery stores, small retailers, activity providers, and other service businesses, many of which are locally owned. Removing TVRs in such a sweeping fashion will create a ripple effect across Maui’s economy.
In 2023, 29.6% of visitors stayed in a TVR and spent an estimated $6.1 billion. Within Maui Island, visitors staying in a TVR spent an estimated $2.2 billion. Additionally, spending by Maui Island TVR visitors in 2023 generated an estimated $45.5 million in County General Excise Tax and Transient Accommodations Tax.
Eliminating this significant source of economic activity, particularly without viable alternatives in places for property owners or displaced visitors, threatens to undermine Maui’s broader recovery and long-term economic resilience. This bill represents a substantial shift in long-standing policy, removing the rights of property owners and platforms that have operated in reliance on previously established laws. More time is needed to study and understand the great impacts a proposal like this would create.
Sincerely,
Jose Torres
Deputy Executive Director, TechNet
Dear Chair Kama, Vice Chair Uʻu-Hodgins, and Members of the Housing and Land Use Committee:
I am a Maui resident with family that has lived on the island for many years. We have grown children that were born and raised on the island, and they are now raising their own families on Maui. My husband and I also own a legal vacation rental condo at the Mahina Surf.
Mahina Surf was initially marketed and sold as a legal vacation rental property before any zoning restrictions limited transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned properties for almost fifty years.
Mahina Surf has never been workforce housing, so Mahina Surf is not an example of a property that converted from workforce housing to transient vacation rental use.
The majority of units at Mahina Surf are under 600 square feet, and the property has limited parking.
Owners purchased units at Mahina Surf with the reasonable expectation that short-term rentals were legal based on ordinances as far back as 1989. In reliance on the Maui County ordinances and published documents, Hawaii state law, and constitutional protections, owners invested in costly renovations, furnishings, and long-term financial commitments such as mortgages that make any phase out of short-term rental rights offensive to each buyer’s investment-backed expectations.
Mahina Surf provides full-time, benefited, employment for local resident employees; some have worked at the property for over 25 years.
Mahina Surf supports a wide variety of local trade professionals including pest control, HVAC, painting, plumbing, electrical, general contracting, masonry, flooring, and tree trimming.
As with any major legislation, you cannot expect to maintain peace in a community without compromise.
I thank the members of the committee for their service and for taking the time to read my testimony in opposition of Bill 9.
Mahalo,
Lisa Nelson
Napili resident
I support Bill 9.
We need a path for OUR COMMUNITY to create generational wealth not continue on the highway of wealth for outside investors. South Maui will be greatly affected by this but our representative is busy stumping for Wailea 670 & Ledcor luxury development.
Where is the math? We MUST all ask ourselves these questions.How many Legal USA citizens were fire victims that are still in need of homes? Are they qualified to buy a home or what is the rent they can afford? How many new apartments and homes are already in process of being built? Restaurants and their vendors on Maui are struggling, due to drastic drop in tourism. The short term vacation rentals are struggling to get current and future reservations due to our own governments threats to shut them down. Heaven forbid they shut approx 7,000 Short Term vacation rentals down, because it will cause all other businesses that cater to tourists to close. We need these businesses and short term rentals to survive so we all can survive No Jobs for locals, and nobody will be able to afford renting those vacation rentals long term etc…
Bottom line is the transients are NOT owed housing, and the 51,000 illegal undocumented immigrants in Hawaii must be deported. Hawai’i Governor Josh Green wants to build 60,000 homes in Hawai’i to accommodate the 51,000 illegals.
We don’t have the water, electric grid or resources for current legal residents (we are on water rations on Maui currently).
Yes we must allow rebuilding and replace homes lost in Lahaina, for Lahaina homeowners.
Example: Did you know that the average family of three uses about 144 gallons of water per day? So imagine if we built 60,000 news homes!!!!
60,0000 new homes
X 144 gallons per day
==============
8,640,000 additional gallons PER Day will be needed in Hawaii.
That is NOT sustainable.
Link to report on illegals in Hawaii, USA
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/HI
Poorly planned and financially incorrect for locations on the carrying costs. Monthly HOA fees of $1700, mortgage costs $5300 per month. Electrical costs are $400 per month Minimum rental agreement would be $7400 per month to cover the costs of this unit. Is there a local Hawaiian that wishes to pay this amount??
Special Assessments of $50,000 over two years = an additional $2000 per month of costs. If needed to finance a loan rate of 5% interest or make sure you have savings in hand to pay the full bill. Is there a local Hawaiian that has these funds available to cover and support?
We employee local cleaner, handy man and on island guest agent with the annual cost of $18000 that will no longer be included in the local economy, plus the addition $18000 annual state and local taxes that our unit generates. $36000 lost from the local economy, plus the expenditures of our renters on Groceries, rental cars, Dining, excursions. This well exceedes the UHERO estimates for the basic Minatoya Unit.
Clearly the UHERO submission did not clearly outline the true values locations on the Minatoya list and many others. This plan is not well thought out. The council need to use accurate economic data before coming to any conclusions. Special interest groups have overly simplified the real costs of these units and are clearly uninformed.
Most agree that the cost of housing on Maui has gotten to a critical point that will cause many to have to move away. Leaving employment vacancies in many important roles like teachers, medical staff, police & fire, general services and more.
Continued high cost of housing will have a domino effect on our community that will have an ill effect on us all. This bill is part of addressing housing and is not the silver bullet, however, it’s a start.