Papakea Resort is seen on Monday, June 24, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. The mayor of Maui County in Hawaii wants to stop owners of thousands of vacation properties from renting to visitors. Instead, he wants the units rented long-term to people who live on Maui to address a chronic housing shortage that intensified after last August’s deadly wildfire. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)

By The Maui News

Editor’s note: The article originally stated the bill would take effect on January 1, 2025 when it would take effect July 1, 2025 if passed.

KAHULUI – After listening to testimony for a combined 18 hours over the course of two meetings, the Maui Planning Commission voted 5-0 in favor of phasing out 7,000 short term rentals on Tuesday in Wailuku. The planning commission recommended passage of the bill as is written that is aimed at helping alleviate the housing crisis on Maui. The bill will now head to the Maui County Council for a vote in order to pass into law.

If the County Council approves the bill and votes it into law, short term rentals on the Westside of Maui will see the law take effect on July 1, 2025. The bill as of press time is not scheduled to be heard at the council’s next meeting on August 13.

“We are here to serve our island, and then the island will serve us. So we need to think about what will best serve our island, which includes our people,” said Commission Chair Kimberly Thayer before a vote was held. “It sounds like it’s coming, bubbling up, that the best thing for our island and for our people is to change this piece of zoning.”

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen spoke at the end of the meeting that was attended by 402 online viewers at one point.

“The goal for this is to increase inventory,” Bissen said. “I heard one of the testifiers say this does not force people to go into short-term rental. And that person said that they took a poll and six percent of the owners would convert theirs to long-term rentals. Six percent of 7,000 is maybe 500 something. I’ll take that.”

Bissen added that the goal of the bill is to achieve more than 6 percent conversion as one of the testifiers at the meeting stated.

“The person who buys it steps into the shoes of the person who just had it,” Bissen said. “Think about somebody who owns several units. You can only live in one. So if you have five or 10, you gonna live in one. What you gonna do with the others? Keep them vacant? Ok, I mean that’s your choice, especially if you’re losing money on this. If you’re losing money on this investment, then you’re going to lose money anyway. At least lose it giving it to somebody for the long-term.”