The City and County of Honolulu has suspended short-term rental regulations in response to the Maui wildfires and emergency proclamations.
The 30-day limit on rentals will be halted until Aug. 31. This is to make more housing available for those who were displaced.
Gov. Josh Green said at least 1,000 homes in Lāhainā were destroyed.
“I think what people are most interested in is housing, how we’re going to house our people,” Green said in a press conference on Saturday.
The state has put together a Temporary Housing Task Force to work with FEMA and other federal partners. He said they have already secured 1,000 rooms, half of which will go to families that have been displaced and the rest to support staff.
"In the days that follow, we’ll have long-term rentals, those are the short-term rentals-turned-long-term. All of that is going to be covered, some by the state, some it’s going to be given charitably. And finally, FEMA will cover a great deal of the cost,” he said.
Thousands have been taking shelter in churches, schools and other emergency housing since the fires began.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi encouraged property owners to use the suspension to assist wildfire victims for free or discounted rates.
“We now know that there are countless Maui residents who will need places to stay in the coming weeks. I am counting on our local rental property owners to keep those individuals their top priority,” Blangiardi said.
The regulations were set into law in 2022 to curb vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.
