Today Green confirmed plans for reducing Hawaii vacation rentals, and increasing visitor fees.
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Today Green confirmed plans for reducing Hawaii vacation rentals, and increasing visitor fees.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
And still the governor has nothing to say about the Long term renters that are losing their homes to fema. This is a critical problem and it is being swept under the carpet. Any landlord would take twice as much money for the long term rental, which leaves a lot of people out On the street. I have enough money to pay my own rent and cannot find a place to live.
I have to ask again, weren’t the full-time residents of Maui, and Hawaii in general, the ones who sold their properties to people who do not live in the state of Hawaii?! Were they forced to sell?! And now the buyers are being demonized. I see the need for more housing and I don’t own any property in Hawaii, but at the same time, it seems strange that parties who engaged in consensual real estate transactions are being treated this way.
Richele. I have also had this thought; just did not know how to state it. Thanks for doing the job for me. The people who purchased the land to build the condo complexes had to buy it from someone. I always assumed it was locals who sold it
These condos were built by off island builders many decades ago. Even where I live, many owners are investors, i.e. companies, not individuals. Saying that the land was sold by locals, those locals didn’t receive much for their land back then. Some were coffee plantations, sugar plantations etc. I do know some locals who are now in their 60’s who say their grandpa didn’t know any better back then. Can you blame them?
I love Maui, and just visited there in December 2023 for 10 nights. To say it was very expensive is an understatement. We stayed in a condo, and bought groceries to help cut down on costs, however with our Canadian dollar and the increasing cost to visit there and now adding addional taxes and fees I highly doubt we’ll be able to vacation there. Such a shame.
Aloha BOH! While I am not opposed to the visitor’s fee, there needs to be a way to track it so we don’t pay it multiple times in one visit to Hawai’i, especially for those of us who island hop and stay at multiple hotels and vacation rentals throughout our trip.
I do not make four times the money I would make on a long Rental. I pay $8655 a year in property taxes I pay 17.5 TAT GET and MAT taxes. I pay 30% income tax. Plus all my overhead my managing fee my cleaning fee. I would love to put my condo up for long-term rental but then I wouldn’t be able to visit Maui. We are just making it this year. I think we’re gonna lose money because of the fire. we have only one property. We had to move off island because we needed to work and put our condo up for rent so we didn’t have to sell our home in Maui. That is the only home we have.
Why don’t they just shred the Constitution while they’re at it. There is this Itty bitty clause about imminent domain that the Hawaiian govt just doesn’t seem to care about. Most of those short term rentals are out of the price range of the average Hawaiian if they were to be sold. I wish Hawaii would make up it’s mind…they want tourist dollars, but whine when their high taxes and fees to slow down the number of visitors, actually decreases tourism.
Green is quickly passing up Abercrombie as the worst Governor in Hawaii History!
The next headline may be “Governor destroys tourism in Hawaii…Unemployment skyrockets!”
They are making it an easy decision to vacation someplace besides Hawaii !!
They are pricing them selves out of the market??
He wants to cater to the rich by making it harder and more expensive for middle-class tourists (the great unwashed) to visit. Have you noticed how many billionaires have bought up land? The locals will become serfs or Nevadans.
Hawaii has been my go-to vacation over the years. The “Aloha Spirit” was something I looked forward to at each visit…smiling faces, beautiful music, Hawaiian culture, etc. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to afford the exorbitant fees added to the cost of visiting. Thank you, Hawaii, for many wonderful memories!
Don’t worry about missing the”Aloha Spirit”now, it was burned up in the Fires.
I was there in October,sad but true.
And taking it out on Tourists is so wrong.
Boom, there it is. Pretty much as I called it. $25 “Climate Fee” and small accommodation tax increase most people will handle. But STR moratorium: Correct me if I am wrong, but people own STR’s with hopes of recouping some expenses of second-property ownership and using it themselves once or a few times a year. While the Governor’s offer (demand) seems attractive, forced conversion to long-term pretty much kills that dream. Fewer would want to buy a part of the dream if those are no longer the rules. Or maybe I am mistaken. I don’t have a dog in this race, but I pretty much use STR’s when I travel to Hawaii. (So I do have a dog in this race!)
A friend of mine working for an Oahu nonprofit did a detailed study on this across neighborhoods. He found that here are many kinds of vaca rental scenarios here. The less harmful ones are the kind you describe. The bigger problem are the more hyper-commercial „hosts“ who own multiple properties and units, living elsewhere. These are seriously damaging our neighborhood housing stock and also crowd out the more benign „local aunty rents her ohana cottage“ type. Or, off island owners who substitute their income by vaca renting.
So I have been monitoring the comments on other articles about the same basic topic and not one person thinks taxing tourists in order to make up for the governments misuse of taxes they already collect is a good idea.
Perhaps there needs to be a comprehensive audit done first to see where all the money already collected by the state actually goes? If not, you simply add more money to the mismanagement government and reduce tourism overall, which will lead to less income overall.
““We’ll invest it for beach preservation, fire breaks, and other measures,” said Green.”
This is hilarious…..beach preservation…uhmmm global warming and rising sea levels….more devastating storms and tides will not be stopped.
Fire breaks were the responsibilities of the islands for decades and now you want to address it…you’re waaay to late.
“Other measures” means let’s line the pockets of the bloated government agencies that haven’t been doing their jobs for decades and only want to collect pensions, not their jobs.
He must be a comedian.
May someone provide info on the current state of fishing for housing near whalers village in kaanapali? Are there fewer people needing housing than when the movement started? Trying to plan a vacation in Maui for April but have not been able to get on details on this when calling hotels. Does anyone know the approximate number of families currently without housing camping and fishing at the beach near the whaler on kaanapali? Thank you!
I am interested in finding this too. For many reasons, one is I do not want to spend thousands of dollars to vacation where there is protesting on the resort beach area and to see them is very sad to me. I am also beside myself that Gov. Greene makes it impossible to depend on a resort rental if we decides to designate a “rental” for ltr housing for the displaced. It appears from social media posts that many are left without a rental and are scurrying to find a replacement unit before their flight takes off in the very near future. This is not how I want to plan a vacation.
Easy decision. Vacation in South Maui. South Kihei & Wailea are beautiful.
This is the worst idea I’ve ever heard. To convert short term rentals to long term is the dumbest idea! What do you think most local people do for a living? In one way or another, they work in the hospitality industry. If the visitors stop coming, news flash! local people won’t be living here because they won’t have a job! It’s taking away jobs from housekeeper, handyman, property mangers, etc! Plus most local people don’t want to live in a small (which the majority of them are) vacation rental. Put yourself in the owners shoes. Doesn’t make sense for them either. No tourist = no tax money for the state. Green and the state are going down a slippery slope. He should not be in office!!
ditto!
The article also stated “He also reiterated that 52% of short-term rentals are owned by non-Hawaii residents and that 27% of short-term rental unit owners own twenty or more units.” This is another problem as this money does not help the local people or housing.
Rory those multiple units owned by single people do put money into the community. Who is paid to clean them between visits? Who manages them? Who maintains them? Where do the people spend their money when they stay in them? It’s easy to say “stick it to the wealthy” until you realize the wealthy support the community more than you realize.
You have a valid point that they put “some” money back into the community, but they still make enough money if they rent one of their 20+ units to someone who lost their home in the fire whether than money comes from the victim’s insurance, the Red Cross or FEMA (although not my favorite).
Oops Guv Green… Careful what you wish for.
Raising taxes beyond 18%? where does it end ? Every problem ends with raising taxes? 18% already leads all jurisdictions and people are already turning away from Hawaii in drives due to Costs + Taxes + FEES on everything.
I’d be more focused on the short term rental owners who want o help and are apparently turned away at every point along the way. Some serious dysfunction appears to be happening.
correction….Alot of serious dysfunction happening
The Fifty Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that government confiscation of property can be done by “eminent domain” and provides that the property owner must then be compensated at market rates which likely means appraised market value.
New fees to feed an over sized buracacy, only part will reach true target. Look in the mirror Hawaii.
Governor Green wants to put a moratorium on short term rental travel starting March 1st, and add additional fees that tourist are required to pay. I own two weeks at SOK and have for years. I pay all my taxes, fees, etc. then travel and spend plenty of money contributing to the economy. Now I’m expected to continue paying taxes and then some and not use my place? How is that right? I work very hard, pay my bills, taxes, mortgage, etc. and have never had anyone offer to pay my bills for me. What is insurance, FEMA, all the taxes we pay for? All rentals Gov Green is going to turn into long-term are those residents going to frequent all the restaurants, bars, tourist events. Who’s going to make up for the lost revenue?
I agree with everything you state. I can tell you that Gov. greene apparently is not thinking beyond Re-election. It is all political. It is catering to the locals wishes, whose that instead of becoming self sustaining, are protesting on the beaches, others are bullying the tourists on social media. Greene is more concerned with social media popularity and re election than the bottom line.
I just love politicians who are so far removed from reality.
I despise people who vote for the same party time after time and them complain about high taxes.
Oh David, if I was not married, I would marry you. I state this all the time. I honestly have not seen so much dumbing down of humans in my life. Its sad, and mostly scary.
Stating the obvoius hi cant compete with bora. Yet officals & some ppl think it can and charge a near untilimited fees and taxes. Thays not the way thi gs wkrk in tbe real world. Hi makes themajority of igs $ off masd mkt tourism, which is already taking a big hit with loss of ajapanese tourists. And hiking fees will at best just take $s away from hi bizs thus to at worse skipping comi g to hi. I can stay in an airbnb in ppt in peak season for less then .ost similar places chargez in hi. Top end resorts are iften end resorts cist mire then high end hitels on bira thkuv tbeyre below thier world class stds.
If they nedx to raise revs ming the volcanos for red hydrgon and bring back farming.
Hawaii would have plenty of money if they watched the crooked politicians a lot closer. Like most American politicians they are lining their pockets and accepting bribes. Committing unsavory acts that go against helping their own people. Then we the debt is too high they want to start price gouging the tourist. This is ridiculous, and people need to start being held accountable for the evils that they do. What will happen when tourist decided to Vacation elsewhere. If I have to spend the same amount to go to Hawai’I as Tahiti why would I stop in Hawaii??????
If it is true that 27% of short term rental owners own 20 or more properties, these are the owners who should be required to rent out a certain percentage long term. We own one short term rental, which we live in for 4 or months a year, so are in no position to rent it out long term. At one time we owned two. If we still did, I would be happy to rent one out on a long term basis.
I agree with you, Brenda. They should go after those owners who own multiple units and at least rent out one of those to someone who lost their home in the fire.
Spot on Brenda. We are (hopefully) staying in a Wailea VRBO condo March 1st-10th. The owners, like you occasionally use their property each and every year. When it comes to your concern about corporate ownership of rental properties as part of the solution nothing has been said. Makes me think that the corporate owners are in cahoots with government. IMO, property owners that stay in Hawaii once or twice a year should not be told how to manage the property they own.
We own a short term rental unit on the Big Island and offered it for long term rental but FEMA acknowledged that we were outside of the 40 mile range from Lahaina that they were accepting. The idea of punishing short term rental owners is interesting. Given the taxes and property management fees the rates charged don’t necessarily equate to make owners wealthy and in many cases don’t cover costs. On the other hand the hotels seem to charge huge rates which allows them to have relatively low occupancy and therefore they are unlikely to require full staffing. Just a few observations on the topic ….
I heard the same thing from some of the owners at the condo resort property where I work.
This Governor is delusional🥸. Without tourists what does Maui have. Nothing!! Pineapple and sugar is gone and now you want to kill the wake of the tourists that brings jobs and $ to the citizens.
This is totally wrong on all levels and is illegal and unconstitutional act by the Governor in all levels. This will surely cause lawsuits from Homeowners and in the end affect the short term industry in a very devastating way and affect travelers. Short term rentals are affordable and also provides and alternative and affordable way for families, couples and extended ohana to vacation in Hawaii. The only winners are the Hotels
The hotels will win until their ocean levels are right up to their lobby. Especially in Kaanapali where there will be no beach restoration, period! I honestly can see ahead in the future and it looks dismal for the Maui and sister islands.
This news is unbelievable. Last week, in the midst of trying to convert my unit to a long-term rental, I was told by a FEMA contactor that “the program was shut down an hour ago because FEMA got enough applications.” Either the governor is lying or FEMA was lying. My money is on the governor, given his history of incompetence.
This governor is going to kill the goose and ruin Hawaii’s economy. Accomodation taxes were just raised to possibly the highest in the nation. More and more fees,, only for tourists. Parking fees only for tourists. Sorry Hawaii, you elected an idiot.
I really wish you could post your notification of such from FEMA ontosocial media sites. It would stir up some question marks for us tourists who are up in the air about our upcoming reservations that keep getting cancelled.
Sandi, you are correct that a cancelation of an STR booking is a possibility and was one of my concerns if I had converted to an LTR. If the government had had its act together in September many more owners would have been willing to convert – fewer bookings to cancel, uncertain tourism environment. But no – the government was more interested in shoveling FEMA money to the hotels, leaving condos (with kitchens so people could feed themselves) empty. I had to move heaven and earth to provide housing for a displaced couple via an Airbnb voucher. And, to add insult to injury, the government took a cut by charging the transient tax and Airbnb took a cut by charging their booking fee. Disgusting.
I was considering renting to someone who lost their home in the fire, but FEMA wouldn’t allow us to meet them and we would have to go through the property managers they chose (none local), even though I am a Realtor and property manager myself. Many other concerns, so I rented my condo to one of the many other non-FEMA applicants I had and I am very happy with my choice.
After over a dozen trips to Hawaii (six islands) over the last 40 years, I guess we won’t be back. We are low-end tourists, although we try to patronize locally-owned hotels and restaurants and be respectful. It is increasingly apparent that we are not wanted any more.
Sounds like the governor is suggesting a form of socialism to fix a system of corruption and neglect of Hawaiian citizens and he wants tourists and condo owners to correct the situation!
Yes indeed. He is so afraid of offending the “Locals”, it is so obvious that even I could play this chess game and win.
It strikes me that every time I hear Josh Green talk about his Green fee or hiking TVR taxes to unheard of levels, that I never hear him acknowledge that there’s a limit to everything. Only recognition of the problem, nothing about fairness or of the significant damage to be done to the dominant revenue source of Hawaii. The real cause and effect of actions like these will eventually crash the economy of the state.
I guess I have some questions…..
The 3000 units that need to be converted to long term rentals….is this how many units burned to the ground? Did the units that burned have insurance? Maybe we could look at turning hotels into apartments? Oh wait, the powerful hotel lobby wants us to go after short term rentals I forgot? Do you really think the $68million collected in the “climate fee” will go towards anything affected by climate change? Or will it be eaten up by the bloated government? When pretty much every new development for housing is opposed by locals how can we build more for locals? I live on the Big Island and we collect millions and millions for “housing” but I don’t see much happening. Just sayin’
I don’t know how the Hawaiian people feel about green, but it sounds like a bunch of nonsense how are you going to increase rates and taxes across the board for visitors and locals, and calls it for beach preservation and fire breaks, that should have been being done regardless throughout the years, there’s always been fires over there, there’s no way a resident of Hawaii should not be able to afford to live there because of the new taxes and fees brought on, especially when these things should of been addressed long ago
I own short term rentals in Maui, and I agree that we owners need to step up. The problem is that I have reached out to the Governor, the Mayor, FEMA and FEMA contractors, and I have had no luck with anyone accepting my units to those in need. I am beyond frustrated because these governmental officials say all of these things, but don’t provide us owners with adequate resources to help. The only people that have been able to help are the local property management companies, but even they aren’t being provided with answers. In fact, my FEMA governmental contractor contact has gone completely silent, and I am being told FEMA is no longer accepting units! We want to help out the Island, but we need some guidance here…
It seems there is something else going on here that needs to be exposed. I’m sure the resorts won’t be required to give up anything to help Maui. I would bet they are backing Green’s proposal since it would help them by having less competition.
I agree. I didn’t like the FEMA representatives nor their program. I bought a condo that doesn’t allow short term rentals, but I did want to help locals displaced by the fire. However, not being able to meet them and having to deal with a management co. that I was not impressed with (chosen by FEMA), made me change my mind. I decided to rent my condo for less than what they “supposedly” offer, just to have peace of mind. I actually had multiple applications and I am happy with my choice.
While I understand the impact of the devastating Lahaina fires, why does Hawaii raise taxes? It feel like a money grab. Many, many donations were collected by a plethora of organizations. Where’s that money? How about insurance claims? Hawaii may be pricing itself out of the vacation market for most families. Sad.
Well you’re right, except that it already has priced itself out of the market for regular families.
I dont mind paying a green fee. But one would hope one could see this money spent to make the island of Maui a safer place to live. They have not done anything for all the millions of dollars earned on the island. To have a fire devastation is a no excuse situation and now even the Greene states he is learning…This should not be a learn on the job type of situation. You will NEVER have enough housing for the “locals’. People are afraid to mention the word “Birth Control” And The Many Homes With All Their children now is huge. Taking STR away from the owners is a poor act of politics. Yes those that lost there homes due to fires need help.they should behelped by ome owners insurance. Its on them if they are uninsured!
I find the proposed climate impact fee of $25 very reasonable, especially if it gets invested for beach preservation, fire breaks etc.
It won’t.
“we will have a two-tiered society. We will continue to have too little housing for working families, firefighters, nurses, and all the people that we know. And we’ll gradually drift to a society that doesn’t have services and can’t keep local people here. I’m learning things in this job.”
Sorry, gov, that horse has already left the barn.
No kidding that it already left the barn. Decades ago. I have a 2nd cousin who spent 20 years on the Honolulu PD. He couldn’t afford to support his family on what they paid. Gave up 20 years seniority and moved to the state of Washington. New officer, no seniority for a pay raise and lower cost of living. He retired from that city a few years ago. I don’t know how people afford to live in Hawaii today.
All of this reinforces my resistance to visiting Hawaii. There are many more tourist friendly places in the world that I want to see. So Hawaii will not be one of them with all the increased prices, and the current high prices to visit the Hawaiian Islands.
So owners will suffer due to the lack of insurance these people had,
Many of these units have HOA’s in the thousands, People in places like Sedona have found work arounds for those 30 day min stays