Owners of legal vacation rentals across the state were closely watching what Gov. Josh Green would do about vacation rentals on Maui, which he threatened to ban if enough property owners didn't make their units available to Lahaina fire survivors.
While that threat is not at the forefront — Green said such a moratorium won't be necessary — the efforts to phase out short-term rentals haven't gone away.
Bills at the Legislature and groups like Lahaina Strong are pressing for faster solutions and the phase-out of vacation rentals.
The Conversation talked to Kelly Lee with the Hawaiʻi Mid and Short-term Rental Alliance about the movements against rentals. It has members across the state and was formed about a year ago, before the wildfires. Lee said the group does not allow members with illegal rentals.
She said that when the wildfires hit, the group reached out to its members and urged them to help displaced families. They worried though about the proposed moratorium.
"We do support Lahaina Strong, we do. And we support housing for residents. We are residents. And the important thing is to differentiate a little bit, there are some vacation rentals. But there are also mid- and long-term housing," she said. "And we need those for transferring military people, for the workers who are going to rebuild, for film and doctors and medical staff and military."
Lee said banning rentals would affect not just the owners but secondary businesses like cleaners.
"We agree with the governor that we have to protect our local residents first and foremost, but there is a need for short-, mid- and long-term rentals, and banning something altogether could cause some chaos and ripple effects that they don't — they're unintended."
This story aired on The Conversation on April 5, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
