A new ordinance seeks to expand housing options in residential and rural districts on Maui and Lanai by allowing a “kitchenette” cooking area in a single dwelling in addition to a regular kitchen.

The ordinance was signed into law July 9 by Mayor Richard Bissen. The Maui County Planning Department initiated the legislation hoping to create new housing opportunities and better accommodate extended families and multigenerational living arrangements.

“It is well known that there is a very limited supply of rental housing in Maui County, and what is available is cost prohibitive for many residents,” Planning Director Kate Blystone wrote in a June 27 letter to the Maui County Council.

The August 2023 wildfires on Maui resulted in extensive damage and the destruction of 4,271 rental units in Lahaina. Many of those housed multiple tenants, including extended and multigenerational families.

“The destruction caused by the wildfires in August 2023 has only exacerbated the issue, and a significant number of residents displaced as a result of the wildfires are currently in search of housing,” Blystone said.

Blystone added that many of the single-family homes that were destroyed had been illegally converted with the owners installing multiple kitchens — or wet bars turned into kitchens — without building permits or inspections.

The new ordinance redefines the meaning of “kitchenette” in the county’s residential and rural districts as an area in addition to a regular kitchen that is used for small-scale food preparation and serving.

Per the ordinance, a kitchenette can now contain a sink, a refrigerator and small appliances for the preparation of hot and cold food or beverages including countertop appliances and a two-burner range. However, a kitchenette is not allowed to contain a 220-volt electrical outlet or any gas appliances.

Council member Tamara Paltin, chair of the Council’s Maui Disaster Recovery, International Affairs and Planning Committee, said kitchenettes are allowed in dwelling units occupied on a long-term basis, but not in an accessory dwelling.

“It’s another way to provide more affordable housing,” said Paltin, who lives in West Maui.

With the allowance of a kitchenette, the dwelling unit is also required to provide an additional parking space. Paltin said committee members were worried about increasing the density of neighborhoods.

Paltin said the administration had proposed allowing two kitchenettes per dwelling, but the County Council reduced the number to one. Council members also banned the use of gas appliances in kitchenettes to reduce the chances of fires.