Maui to phase out thousands of short-term rentals after bill signed into law
By Web Staff
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MAUI, Hawaii (KITV) — After months of passionate testimony, the Maui County Council approved Bill 9, voting to phase out more than 6,000 short-term rental units in hopes of getting more local people affordable long-term housing.
A small, but mighty group known as Lahaina Strong has fought for the return of housing to local residents.
“We’ve been fighting for, I would say almost two years,” said Jordan Ruidas, one of the organizers of Lahaina Strong. “We started on Kaanapali beach just advocating for dignified housing.”
Pleading at the state Capitol and at the Maui County Council to ease Maui’s housing crisis that’s priced many families out of paradise.
And after months of passionate pleas, they finally got their wish.
The Maui County Council approving Bill 9, giving short-term rental owners in West Maui three years — and five years in South Maui — to convert to long-term housing.
“There are still many people that are between housing, needing housing, especially Lahaina fire survivors and this is giving them a little bit of hope,” Ruidas said.
And even before the bill passed Maui’s already seeing a change.
“The prices for condos are already dropping,” she said. “The last write up I saw, which is probably a month or two ago, condos prices have dropped more than 20% so it’s honestly just making it more affordable already.”
But opponents, including three council members who voted against the bill, argue the change will tank Maui’s economy even more — discouraging visitors away from the island.
“Let’s stop talking about Bill 9, or how Bill 9 will bring back all the people who were priced out and had to leave,” said property owner Karen Smart. “Passing Bill 9 will actually force more to leave. Over tourism is not people over profit. Tourism currently feeds the people.”
But more than 4,000 owners could apply to be rezoned in order to continue as short-term vacation rentals — leaving just a couple thousand for long-term use, which advocates said is better than nothing.
“At first we were like, ‘Oh, damn if we get only 2,000 is that still a win?’ And it’s still a win,” Ruidas said. “Honestly, when you look at how long it would take for Maui County to build its way out of this housing crisis, they’re saying like 30 to 50 years. That’s crazy. None of us can wait that long.”
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen signed the bill into law. But the owners of short-term rentals have threatened to sue, which could further lengthen the conversion into long-term housing.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
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