I submit this testimony in strong support of Bill 9 and the proposed zoning amendments to phase out transient vacation rentals (TVRs) in the Apartment District. Maui is in the midst of a full-blown housing crisis. This bill is one of the clearest opportunities the Council has to take meaningful action.
The core question before you is simple:
Will returning over 6,000 TVRs to the long-term housing market—either as rentals or as for-sale units—help address Maui’s severe housing shortage?
The answer is undeniably yes.
Maui is part of the most isolated island chain in the world. Yet, a disproportionate share of our housing stock is owned by out-of-state investors who do not live here, do not vote here, and profit by extracting wealth from our communities. Meanwhile, local families are being priced out, displaced, or forced to leave the islands altogether.
This is not a complex issue. The public interest lies with our residents—nurses, teachers, kūpuna, and keiki—who need homes, not hotels disguised as condos.
This legislation is not extreme; it is necessary. It restores balance in our communities and prioritizes housing for people who live and work here. Times like these require courage and clarity from our elected officials. The choice is between standing with your constituents or continuing to enable a speculative real estate market driven by absentee owners.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony, and for your leadership on this critical issue.
Virtually every state and country deals with increases in housing costs and housing shortages. The difference in Maui is that the county depends on the STRs for significant revenue for their budget. Most travelers simply cannot afford to stay in hotels and do not prefer that experience. Other areas are more diversified and have other options. That will not change on Maui due to geographical and logistical restrictions. Taking property rights from STR owners will do nothing to fix the housing problem. That can only be addressed through sound policy making on Maui in balance with maintaining the revenue provided by STRs. My building was constructed in 1975 and the Declarations for our building, as approved by Maui County, state that the property would be used for long term, owner occupied and SHORT TERM Rentals. Changing that rightful ownership would require the county to purchase the STR units. There are fair and balanced approaches to addressing the housing issues without throwing the baby out with the wash. Examples of this approach failing are all over the news now as New York, Lake Tahoe and others are returning to Short Term Rentals because the expected positive impact on housing availability and housing cost did not materialize. The same result will occur on Maui with a much more significant and negative impact on the local residents as well as visitors to the county. I emphasize my STRONG OPPOSITION to this politically misguided Bill, Bill 9.
Thank you for allowing me to comment.
Richard Smith
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Jeff Yeager, and I am the owner of a legally permitted short-term rental in Maui County (Mahina Surf #220). I am writing to respectfully express my strong opposition to Bill 9, which proposes the phase-out of more than 7,000 vacation rentals that have long operated in compliance with county regulations.
I have always taken seriously my role as a responsible and community-oriented property owner. I employ local cleaners, landscapers, and maintenance professionals — individuals who not only keep the property running safely and smoothly, but who also rely on this income to support their families. I also make a conscious effort to promote local restaurants, shops, and tour operators in my guest materials, ensuring that tourism dollars reach the small businesses that form the backbone of Maui’s economy.
Many of my guests specifically choose Maui because they value the more authentic and connected experience that a short-term rental provides. Some have even shared that they would not have visited at all if such accommodations were unavailable — a loss that would ripple across the island’s tourism-dependent sectors.
Owning and maintaining property on Maui is not without significant challenges. Like many others, I have faced steep increases in insurance premiums following the fires, along with special assessments and the high cost of maintaining older properties in compliance with safety and aesthetic standards. Short-term rental income helps cover these obligations — and, critically, supports the local workers who help me meet them.
Bill 9, as currently drafted, appears to be a sweeping and hasty measure that penalizes responsible property owners rather than addressing the nuanced challenges facing Maui’s housing market. I respectfully urge the Council to reconsider this approach and instead engage in a thoughtful, collaborative process that balances the protection of housing for residents with the preservation of legal short-term rentals that provide economic benefits, uphold community standards, and contribute meaningfully to the island’s vibrancy.
I ask that you vote against Bill 9 in its current form and work toward a more balanced and inclusive solution.
Mahalo for your time, your service, and your consideration of this critical matter.
Sincerely,
Jeff Yeager
Mahina Surf #220
jayeager19@gmail.com
We live on the mainland, but come to Maui every year. We wanted to start coming longer after we retire so we bought a condo. We used the long-term rent.It but we found out it constantly went into a state of disrepair when we would come for two weeks every winter all we did is work on the condo we rented for 11 months a year or longer if we had a good renter and we would actually rent somebody else’s place to come visit. Are buying the condo was not about making money or rental income or anything except the fact that we love Maui and wanted this to enable us to spend more time there. We’re retired now and can spend a few months a year, but the rules are if we don’t rent it for 12 months, we have to pay a higher tax rate That being the case, it became unaffordable so we had to switch to vacation rental to be able to afford and come to Maui in the winter. When we visit, we respect the people the culture and the land. We are the best kind of visitor. Please don’t make it. Impossible for us to come there by passing this law.
My daughter will not be able to support her ability to live on Maui if we lose the revenue she makes from managing our short-term rental. The COVID lock downs and Lahaina fire already destroyed the other income she had.
Why in this world would you ever consider that this legislation will be beneficial for Maui County much less for the island of Moloka'i?
Has being a polition made you unable to read the actual econoic impact of this bill?
If you vote for it, you should resign your political position as you see the damage you have done.
Bob McCann - Permanent resident in a 1- bedroom condo that I own on Moloka'i.
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
I submit this testimony in strong support of Bill 9 and the proposed zoning amendments to phase out transient vacation rentals (TVRs) in the Apartment District. Maui is in the midst of a full-blown housing crisis. This bill is one of the clearest opportunities the Council has to take meaningful action.
The core question before you is simple:
Will returning over 6,000 TVRs to the long-term housing market—either as rentals or as for-sale units—help address Maui’s severe housing shortage?
The answer is undeniably yes.
Maui is part of the most isolated island chain in the world. Yet, a disproportionate share of our housing stock is owned by out-of-state investors who do not live here, do not vote here, and profit by extracting wealth from our communities. Meanwhile, local families are being priced out, displaced, or forced to leave the islands altogether.
This is not a complex issue. The public interest lies with our residents—nurses, teachers, kūpuna, and keiki—who need homes, not hotels disguised as condos.
This legislation is not extreme; it is necessary. It restores balance in our communities and prioritizes housing for people who live and work here. Times like these require courage and clarity from our elected officials. The choice is between standing with your constituents or continuing to enable a speculative real estate market driven by absentee owners.
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony, and for your leadership on this critical issue.
Virtually every state and country deals with increases in housing costs and housing shortages. The difference in Maui is that the county depends on the STRs for significant revenue for their budget. Most travelers simply cannot afford to stay in hotels and do not prefer that experience. Other areas are more diversified and have other options. That will not change on Maui due to geographical and logistical restrictions. Taking property rights from STR owners will do nothing to fix the housing problem. That can only be addressed through sound policy making on Maui in balance with maintaining the revenue provided by STRs. My building was constructed in 1975 and the Declarations for our building, as approved by Maui County, state that the property would be used for long term, owner occupied and SHORT TERM Rentals. Changing that rightful ownership would require the county to purchase the STR units. There are fair and balanced approaches to addressing the housing issues without throwing the baby out with the wash. Examples of this approach failing are all over the news now as New York, Lake Tahoe and others are returning to Short Term Rentals because the expected positive impact on housing availability and housing cost did not materialize. The same result will occur on Maui with a much more significant and negative impact on the local residents as well as visitors to the county. I emphasize my STRONG OPPOSITION to this politically misguided Bill, Bill 9.
Thank you for allowing me to comment.
Richard Smith
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Jeff Yeager, and I am the owner of a legally permitted short-term rental in Maui County (Mahina Surf #220). I am writing to respectfully express my strong opposition to Bill 9, which proposes the phase-out of more than 7,000 vacation rentals that have long operated in compliance with county regulations.
I have always taken seriously my role as a responsible and community-oriented property owner. I employ local cleaners, landscapers, and maintenance professionals — individuals who not only keep the property running safely and smoothly, but who also rely on this income to support their families. I also make a conscious effort to promote local restaurants, shops, and tour operators in my guest materials, ensuring that tourism dollars reach the small businesses that form the backbone of Maui’s economy.
Many of my guests specifically choose Maui because they value the more authentic and connected experience that a short-term rental provides. Some have even shared that they would not have visited at all if such accommodations were unavailable — a loss that would ripple across the island’s tourism-dependent sectors.
Owning and maintaining property on Maui is not without significant challenges. Like many others, I have faced steep increases in insurance premiums following the fires, along with special assessments and the high cost of maintaining older properties in compliance with safety and aesthetic standards. Short-term rental income helps cover these obligations — and, critically, supports the local workers who help me meet them.
Bill 9, as currently drafted, appears to be a sweeping and hasty measure that penalizes responsible property owners rather than addressing the nuanced challenges facing Maui’s housing market. I respectfully urge the Council to reconsider this approach and instead engage in a thoughtful, collaborative process that balances the protection of housing for residents with the preservation of legal short-term rentals that provide economic benefits, uphold community standards, and contribute meaningfully to the island’s vibrancy.
I ask that you vote against Bill 9 in its current form and work toward a more balanced and inclusive solution.
Mahalo for your time, your service, and your consideration of this critical matter.
Sincerely,
Jeff Yeager
Mahina Surf #220
jayeager19@gmail.com
Listen to Stan Franco
We live on the mainland, but come to Maui every year. We wanted to start coming longer after we retire so we bought a condo. We used the long-term rent.It but we found out it constantly went into a state of disrepair when we would come for two weeks every winter all we did is work on the condo we rented for 11 months a year or longer if we had a good renter and we would actually rent somebody else’s place to come visit. Are buying the condo was not about making money or rental income or anything except the fact that we love Maui and wanted this to enable us to spend more time there. We’re retired now and can spend a few months a year, but the rules are if we don’t rent it for 12 months, we have to pay a higher tax rate That being the case, it became unaffordable so we had to switch to vacation rental to be able to afford and come to Maui in the winter. When we visit, we respect the people the culture and the land. We are the best kind of visitor. Please don’t make it. Impossible for us to come there by passing this law.
Mahalo, Dominic and Grace Venezia
My daughter will not be able to support her ability to live on Maui if we lose the revenue she makes from managing our short-term rental. The COVID lock downs and Lahaina fire already destroyed the other income she had.
Why in this world would you ever consider that this legislation will be beneficial for Maui County much less for the island of Moloka'i?
Has being a polition made you unable to read the actual econoic impact of this bill?
If you vote for it, you should resign your political position as you see the damage you have done.
Bob McCann - Permanent resident in a 1- bedroom condo that I own on Moloka'i.