Hawaii vacation rentals exhibited stark contrasts of climbing rates and declining occupancy amid visitor discomfort toward short-term rentals.
Hawaii vacation rentals exhibited stark contrasts of climbing rates and declining occupancy amid visitor discomfort toward short-term rentals.
Again, I don’t understand how this bill changes things. On Hawaii the County already regulates STVR . How does this bill change what they are already doing?
So if I understand this correctly, the county can now abolish the STVR completely and “force” these owners to rent to locals. If you can’t rent to tourist and can’t sit on an empty dwelling (and your invested dollars) you either sell it or rent it local.
I find this hard to believe since every management company has lowered rates, at least on Maui. I believe this report like I believe in voting counts. Not!
Michael Jordan was once asked why he doesn’t talk openly about politics. His answer was “People from both sides of the aisle buy sneakers. Why would I alienate half of my customers?” Ever since the presidential election of 2016, conservatives have been incessantly harangued and derided by people on the left. I don’t see much conversation about this specifically, but can we possibly be the only people that refuse to vacation at a location that is populated by people that hate us? The state senator that they elected makes that very clear every time I see her smug, arrogant face. Is it possible that half of Hawaii’s customer base simply refuses to contribute to that?
You are kidding, right? This comment shows how both sides somehow think the other is to blame for anything they perceive to be wrong. Blinders work on both sides it appears.
It’s not simply a perception Doug. Believe me, I’d rather it were easier to just put blinders on so I don’t have to see it in my face every day. In any case, perception is reality. And the reality is that our, and many other’s I suspect, considerable vacation/tourism dollars will never be spent in Hawaii. Fool me once…
I’m pretty sure you’re not missed
Thanks for proving my point. Tell your local businessperson that you’re all better off without my tourist dollars. As he shutters his business.
Unfortunately he and all the others who take their dollars elsewhere will be missed. We have other choices, you don’t. Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face it’s not worth it
She only hates white men – and many people in Hawaii are ok with that.
Please note that the Hawaiian locals are more of a minority- the squeaky wheel. The majority of us need and welcome tourism. Restrictions limiting growth of STRs should have been placed prior- not take away owners rights and destroy our economy after the fact. Build affordable housing!!!
Whenever the government gets involved, things usually get worse or ruined. Ask most residents in Oahu and maui and they’ll tell you that the state of Hawaii has the most corrupt government in the U.S.
Short-Term Rentals (STR) are, by nature, investments made by folks under prevailing guidelines. Investors understand that markets can and do change – the element of investment ‘risk’ – as they obviously have locally. Especially due to the Lahana fire. Political winds of change also affect market conditions. It is most obvious here too that the strong lobbying by the hotels to eliminate/reduce STRs also has had the effect favorable to that lobby. When the typical STR investor is reported as having 20+ properties statewide, I am not so sure we typical folks have much empathy; the real issue is how the lack of available STRs will affect the overall Hawaii tourism market and consequentially affect Hawaii’s tax-earnings bottom line.
The statistic repeated over and over again “27% of short-term rental owners own 20 or more units.” is actually misquoted and false.
This seems to be from an old Appleseed report “Hawaii Vacation Rentals: Impact on Housing and Economy” dated 2018. On page 7 it says: “hosts with 20 or more units earned more than 27 percent of the total revenue generated by multi-unit hosts”. The sentence in the report really has a very different meaning. Also “host” doesn’t mean “owner”. Property management companies manage and advertise multiple listings.
The report adds a disclaimer: “It should be noted that the study was conducted by a group with ties to the hotel industry”
Thank you for clarifying that. But it won’t matter to those who greedily want to take people’s property for their own benefit, without having to work a minute in order to justify their taking. This is all about property confiscation, by people who haven’t had to work for what other people have.
Warren, you are 100% correct. What this pretty much amounts to is the government sanctioning squatters rights. What a way to keep people loyal to the politicians who give them other people’s homes. It is disgusting and I understand fighting back. Hopefully the disdain for legitimate property owners like yourself will not become so prevalent that it becomes unbearable for you, although that seems to be the goal of the politicians. Best wishes.
Eliminate 7000 STR’s and you will fing out quickly the economic devastation it will cause. Probably 40m in property taxes plus another 20m from their portion of TAT. On top of that you will see businesses destroyed. These visitors aren’t going to a hotel charging 2 to 3x of a STV.
Why would property taxes go down? They will continue to increase.
Non residents pay higher taxes
Because STRs and non resident owners both pay much higher rates. Lime 300% higher
Hotels hate short-term rentals because they’re much more cost-effective for families. You can get a two bedroom beautiful condo on the beach for $600 a night and either have two couples or an entire family that would require two bedrooms in a $500 a night hotel. Plus you get a kitchen in a condo and you aren’t forced to pay the exorbitant restaurant prices every meal. Now that hotels have taken over the tourist Regency in Hawaii you can expect nothing but more greed by the large corporations that own those hotels. Talk about outside interests enriching themselves at the expense of Hawaii LOL
It is disgusting that the hoteliers are so deep in the politicians’ pockets that they’re legislating the small guys out of business.
Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have greedily cannibalized themselves by charging such ridiculously high fees. It is far better to go direct whenever possible. You can pay via PayPal for protection if you’re worried about it.
DB –
We advertise on VRBO. The ad costs $600 a year. We use a local Kauai Property Management outfit to handle the actual rental reservations/operations. The VRBO ad must link or otherwise identify our rental co. We have nothing to do with Airbnb, nor do we ask or expect our guests to do chores at the house. Our place is almost always rented when we are not there. Many (more than half?) of the renters are repeats.
How does one accomplish this?
Jack,
If what you are asking is “How does one rent directly and avoid Airbnb or VRBO charges” – you book through a local Hawaii property management outfit. You don’t get hit with any further chargers. You can scout properties, including availability calendars, on-line. Then call them to book. Semi-old school.
Many owners have property managers who handle their rentals. In general the easiest way to go direct would be to find a rental you like, eg on Airbnb. Then google the name of the host. Many will have their own webpage where you can contact them directly to book. Hope that helps.
How do you go direct? How do I find these accommodations to go direct as you call it? I’d love to know as I’d like to get a deal as much as the next guy
It’s like Jack said, find the property you like on a corporate site (like VRBO) and then google their unit # or names or business name. Alternately visit sites where owners list and book direct. Then spread the word on how you found the unit to whomever will listen. We only book direct and do not advertise or list on any corporate sites. We have our own website and booking software to manage guest bookings. We have a following of repeat Canadian guests and not having booking fees saves them significantly with the $ exchange.
My family and I have visited Maui and Kauai for 20 consecutive years, and we’ve only stayed in hotels twice. In fact, we probably wouldn’t visit again if we had to stay in a hotel. Rental homes are not, repeat, not driving up home prices. Regulations impede home builders, not renters. The vilification of renters is unnecessarily tarnishing the state’s reputation.
I don’t think it’s the home prices that they are going after. They are all well over a million and most local families could never afford 200-300k for a down payment in a state with the highest cost of living. What they are going after is the supply of available rentals for local residents to occupy. Every rental unit that it utilized as an stvr could essentially be a long term housing solution for locals at market rates. Stvr 100% ruin local neighborhoods and destroy any sense of community. I would prefer to see a local family raising kids in the house across from the one I own instead I get disrespectful drunk tourists partying the night away with zero concern for the residents that have work/school at 6am. Sound familiar to you?
Exactly, Michael. Well said.
Most of the commenters here are trying to make a profit from their speculative investment. Most live out of state. These mini-hotels need to get removed across the entire state from all residential and ag zoning. The whole state.
Dump them all.
No, that’s 100% not how we visit. We may have a drink at a restaurant, but we don’t drink at home and we keep quiet in our neighborhood, in keeping with the house rules that we’re emphasized by our great property managers. There aren’t that many rental units available in Northeast Maui as it is. The county and state need to keep their hands off. On our recent two-week vacation our party of ten spent more than $30,000. If we had to stay in a hotel the total would be $0. We wouldn’t come.
Maybe you will just get drunken disrespectful locals instead.
We live in a neighborhood that is a mix of “locals” and vacation rentals. For the most part, the vacation rental guests are much quieter, don’t collect junk vehicles on the lawn, and have no barking dogs. vacation rentals are also better maintained. I admit, if ours was not a sometimes-rental, I would not be as good about maintenance and keeping the lawn mowed, etc., as I am.
There are always exceptions. YMMV
You are right !
Beyond the STVR issue, the common thread here is pricing. Your average folks have a definite upper limit as to what they’re willing to pay for a discretionary vacation. Even of the “extra special, once in a lifetime” variety. IMO we’ve hit that limit and are now well past apogee and “falling fast”.
Respected studies show that 40% of Americans don’t have $400 in savings and 70% don’t have $1000 without selling something or borrowing it. This sharply reduces the pool that can “afford” it (notice the quotations). Even these people (outside of truly wealthy) have limits (usually their CCs) and I suspect those limits have been reached…
“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop”
Herbert Stein
This is exactly it. We travel at least yearly to Maui and behave like respectful visitors. We stay in condos- not rented through AirBNB because those are stupidly expensive. Every year except just after covid shut down, the prices go up a lot. We no longer stay 2 weeks + as we can’t afford it. Now, with west side condos not allowed, we have cancelled our plans to go this winter and may never be back. Hotels are twice the price of an ocean front condo that we can cook our meals in. Since tourism is down in Hawaii wouldn’t it follow that rentals are down? particularly on Maui.
Thank you for your support. Don’t give up on us especially if this is your special place. Rates are discounted right now.Book in a hotel zoned property. I’ll have to make a list of the properties that will be safe from this ban. Airfare is good right now too. We do expect rates to go as inventory diminishes. Together we will survive the changes with the help of our visitors.
We want to come back. Your words are encouraging. However, the ban is confusing. Napili Kai is a hotel but the potential ban list includes most of the condos on Napili bay. I’ve stayed at one of them since the 70’s.
Properties like Sands of Kahana are zoned hotel, and not on the minatoya list. They are not subject to this ridiculous law
Hawaii has already made short term rentals uneconomic by raising total additional visitor costs with an 18% state tax. In additions these units are experiencing dramatically rising property taxes (mine went up 110% over two years at one point while Hawaiians were limited to 3%/year) , maintenance costs, and rising interest rates.
Now hotel lobbyists (contributing to politicians) are closing in on the death kill. And out of state owners, who bring both many jobs and visitors , don’t have any say in the matter.
You have plenty of say in the matter…move your business interests to a state that appreciates you.
Look I’m a previous citizen of Hawaii I brag all the time on how good it was when I lived there in early 70s I went to TJ elementary school on Waikiki Beach saw Don Ho all the time surfed and skated did the aliwai mall first gf what happen to my childhood paradise (answer greed) so sad mahalo from FL!
Hawaii’s state government never seems to change. A fine example of amateur hour. Between greed on the part of the hotels and restaurants and the clueless politicians, they have destroyed Hawaii as a destination for vacation. On the upside though, the beaches and the roads in the state will again be empty.
Our family, including kids and picky eaters, are not going to stay in a hotel. Where you take your kids on a trip, you’re setting up the future of tourism.
Hawaii is going to hotels for honeymoons and retirees
If condos come down in price, it’s going to be wealthy mainland folks buying them and then they sit empty half the year and the tourist industry further spirals.
Good luck Hawaii, you’re going to need it. Please make your local governments accountable. And realize they do very little with a lot…
Agree completely. 90% of the units they want to convert are way above affordability. They’re going to be bought by outside people who will leave them empty most of the year. The only way the state of Hawaii can turn those units back into cheap apartments is to mandate the sale of property to the state. This will finally show that what they’re really doing is confiscating property with this new law
Most often, when a government tries to fix a problem, the unintended consequences pop-up.
In my case, if I didn’t have family to periodically visit, I would vacation in a state where visitors are welcome.
In addition, What the legislature has done is akin to allowing confiscation of property by local governments. That doesn’t make taking of property legal.
I am in the same situation. I visit Hawaii due to obligations to family and close friends who live there, but for discretionary travel I have been going to the East coast and Europe. Much better public transportation options, much better accomodation prices and values, and the ability to avoid the entitlement and racist anti-mainland attitudes prevalent in Hawaii.
There’s something special about this place we know as Hawaii. It has always had a magical attraction to myself and obviously, millions of others like me. The vacation rentals are always my preference, it’s the affordable option for many.
I love the time, I’ve been privileged to have in Hawaii. I only wish the best for the Hawaiian people. A challenging future to find a balance, that supports and respects the Hawaiian culture. In an ever changing World.
Thank you,
We have been to Maui dozens of times and lived there for five years.
We returned in 2022 after moving back to NJ
In 2018. During our last visit we realized it would be our last. Prices then were double on hotels, car rental and restaurants. Maui now for many is a once in a life time destination. Yearly vacations are out and many friends of mine who we would meet every year also agree . Any one who thinks this will change has another thing coming. We now vacation in other world destinations.
The notion of own nothing and you will be happy is coming true for most. Hawaii it seems is set to be a hot spot for the elite only. In 20 to 30 years the average person in the state of Hawaii will have departed for places like Las Vegas, LA, and Seattle. Most people can’t see the big plan that’s right in front of them. Getting rid of the average person that either lives in Hawaii or visits is the plan. Feudalism is on the return. If you can’t afford your house with out Short term rentals, I am sure Blackrock or some other elite will be happy to buy
Both residents and visitors who love Hawaii; feel a connection to Hawaii will continue to find a way to live or visit Hawaii
According to this article Mr. Green will get his “high end” tourists only,
which is what he stated in your earlier reports. Oddly, Green is protecting any government short term rental business. Japan is definitely out of Hawai’i tourism, and they should be considering the situation. We should be discouraging Japan from supporting these actions .
All of the government reports say that the hotels owned by large off shore companies are doing well with no competition, and the small rental business is diminished to nothing with all the government anti tourism reports.
I wouldn’t celebrate too soon. The fall out from all the actions is bound to have repercussions. A sad day for locals, and a sad day for Hawai’i in general.
When the endless housing speculators commenting on how “the economy” is getting destroyed, what they are actually referring to is their “personal economy”.
Bill, you’re not even trying any longer to hide your glee over others problems. If you knew anything about ‘personal economics’ you would realize that any investor able to pony up 7 figures for property is not going to put all their eggs in one basket. Additionally, even if the diminished amount of rent they earn no longer offsets their taxes and other payments, they still have equity, as someone (probably not a local), will purchase their property should they decide to sell.
Not the gloom and doom you hoped for, but that’s the way it works in our capitalist society.
Current owners bought a property that was income generating, and now they are selling a property that is not income generating, so for the current owners, it is pretty doom and gloom. Once this settles out, the value of their properties will likely be half of what it was last week. So, many of them will have all of their equity wiped out.
Exactly. They made a speculative investment. Not all investments provide a return. When they go to sell, there are no more speculators on the buy-side, they have to find a buyer, follow the market down, who’s the buyer now?
For example, in Palm Springs, a cap on short-term rentals in specific high-demand neighborhoods has all but frozen the market in those communities.
Sales are down. Homes languish on the market for months. And investors who bought up Palm Springs properties during the COVID-19 pandemic are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
We live in Palm Springs, and follow the market closely. The few reports that you evidently have read including the most recent Los Angeles Times one are completely wrong. Prices were no more affected here than other places due to rising interest rates and a natural pause after large increases in property values in the last few years. Great properties are still going for higher prices. Condos have not come down in price.
I thought there was only one economy Bill?
We had to vacate our home for two weeks due to a plumbing emergency and found a small hotel on the east side of Kauai that was cheaper than than an Airbnb -I know many people that are discouraged by Airbnb’s cleaning fee ,even though guests are expected to clean the unit,and many vacation rentals require a 500$ deposit
Tourism existed long before there were STRs.
All STRs need to be located in areas zoned resort only.
Not in residential or ag zoning.
If visitors cannot afford to come to Hawaii and stay in resort areas, then they shouldn’t be coming to Hawaii, as the residential and ag zoned areas are not setup for tourists.
The proliferation of STRs in residential and ag zoning has greatly upset the balance for residents, housing and local businesses. This cost is far more great over time than losing speculative mini-hotels in places that they should never have been allowed in the first place.
Absolutely. All this caterwauling over the loss of a service that is barely a decade old. People need to get a grip.
I would agree, except what is defined as a resort area is not based on reality. The list of STRs that will be stopped including El Dorado and Kapalua Bay Villas, among others, that were never intended to be anything but rental resorts. There is no way Kapalua Bay Villas are going to add to the local housing market.
Agreed, none of the kapalua condos are going to add to the local housing. The cost of the condos and the HOA fees would hinder that quickly.
You are 100% right. This is a perfect example of how out of touch and unrealistic the politicians and those who have managed to influence them are about the impact that this kind of lae and change will have on availability for the average Maui resident. They’re not going to be buying even $500,000 condos in places where the HOA fee is $1,000 a month. It’s just completely unrealistic and crazy, and only pandering to the extremists who have managed to get these laws passed
Bill you are 100% spot on. This would go a long way in restoring harmony among residents and tourists who have the utmost respect for hawaii’s people, their culture, and their environment.
I think this is going to be a tough road. I understand and sympathize with the need for homes, especially in Maui after the Lahaina fires. However, I also think eliminating all short term rentals isnt going to be the answer as many of those homes are expensive condos with expensive HOAs that cannot be aforded without having short term rentals. If those rentals are lost so are the jobs that maintain and upkeep them. Tourism may also decline even more as many prefer short term rentals. I also wonder how those who own a condo/home there, that stay there for a decent portion of the year, are going to do when they cant stay there because they cant do short term, only long term rentals. It’s a slippery slope.
No coincidence that there seems to be a surge in online articles that offer up less expensive alternatives to Hawaii…the middle class budget is being stretched to the limit with inflation continuing to affect everyday necessities…food, gas, housing, insurance, medical, etc.
My wife was born at Wilcox in 1955. Her parents were both raised on the island. We return each year to see family and old friends. Our preference is to rent a small cottage/plantation home in the community while we are there. I fear that will no longer be possible. Question: Are ‘housing units’ defined as individual housing, or does it also include condo units and time shares?
I just viewed the most recent Daily Visitor Arrival numbers for Hawaii, Maui’s daily arrival numbers are way down. Maui’s Mayor’s message of “We hate Tourist” is really working.
That’s some good governing mayor…
“The decline in vacation rental performance likely doesn’t reflect even the notion of the regulatory changes that are just starting. ”
Exactly. This isn’t a Hawaii specific slowing. It’s nationwide.
I’ve said it before, saying it again. The economy is slowing quickly. The Fed and Government blew giant asset bubbles, huge inflation. the lag effect of rate increases is setting in. The Federal governement is still taking huge deficits to prop it up.
26 states are in recession. Job layoffs are mounting. People are broke from inflation.
43% of ALL small business that pay rent across the entire USA could not make their full rent payment last month. Think about that.
As someone who had been visiting the islands for almost 40 years, here is my take. Many repeat visitors are like us, retired and on fixed incomes. When we come to the islands we stay for long periods of time (3-4 weeks or more). We don’t want to have to tip for a bucket of ice, we want to do our own laundry, don’t want to eat out 3 times a day and don’t want to pay $50 per day to park a rental car. The possibility that a condo you book today will cancel plus the growing sentiment that visitors aren’t welcome are keeping repeat STR patrons like us away. How many hotel visitors stay and support the island business for a month or more? My guess, few to none.
Perfect summary of the reality facing many who would Love to come back to Hawaii.
I am a small family owned STVR in Kapalua Resort area of Maui and have slashed prices by 60%, not raised them. The numbers quoted in this article do not reflect the reality of most of us small PMs here. Most of us have drastically discounted prices to encourage visitors to come back and to counter the negative, deceptive propaganda spewed forth from mouths of Mayor Bissen and Gov Green. These men are doing all they can, with the help of the county council, the state government and the HTA, to spread misinformation about our legal operations to further increase our demise, an agenda item prior to the fire. Make no mistake about it, the majority of Maui residents want visitors back. Please Come Back ! We Need You! We Want You Back !
As owners of a STR it seems we “might be” zoned hotel and hence ok. We are in Kihei. We reduced our price and hope people continue to come and support the economy regardless of the political climate. We also understand that there is a housing crisis here as there are in several other places – And we certainly don’t agree with the heavy handedness. There is a lot of information out there… and it will take time to sort out. Maybe another governor until then? Aloha
I would consider coming back to Maui if I could find an affordable place to stay while there. Warm regards. I am always looking every couple of weeks to keep tabs on the prices and what I see just makes me not even consider coming over. And I am a 45 yr visitor with lots of Hawaiian miles to use.
As I looked for a 2-week vacation rental on Oahu, I was astonished that they all required 30 days cancelation. The rate wasn’t much cheaper than a hotel after the added fees, so I opted for a hotel instead with a better cancelation policy.
Karma is a bitch
Simple theory – charge twice the price, host half the guests , employ half the staff. Guests support half the local business. Let’s not even wonder if the high paying guests are feeling entitled after recent rate hikes.
Everything IMO will be 4x the price. Hotels, meals,activities, parking etc. If the hotel only books one fourth what it does now it makes the same amount of money. Less water usage, Less cleaning staff, Less wasted food, Less cooks, Less linens and housekeepers to clean rooms, Less water and electric consumption. There will be no more new construction of housing because IMO if the county can’t do the deed of eliminating STR’s then it will probably pass the buck to some environmental agency that determines that the system can’t support the demand for fresh water and sewer services to everyone. Sounds like the damage is done.
Aloha,
We are planning a trip to Maui departing from Sacramento, Ca on December 12, 2024. We already have our return flight booked as it was the only direct flight home on December 20th – so we nabbed it as a oneway. I’ve been watching Southwest flights, but there is no direct flight from Sacramento to Maui. Do you think Southwest will add a direct flight? (Hawaiin Airlines has one direct flight and it just went up in price by about $50 in the last day or so) We want to use our points with SW if possible. Thanks so much. Beth
Hi Beth.
Not as far as we know.
Aloha.
I read within the past 2 weeks several of the airlines are cutting service to multiple islands, SW included.
Self-reporting for compliance in short-term rentals (STRs) was an effective measure, given that violations were in the minority. However, the current approach adopted by the Governor & Mayor Bissen may inadvertently push legal STR operators towards unregulated activities, which contradicts their intended objectives. Furthermore, the notion that simply transitioning STRs to long-term housing will resolve housing shortages is overly simplistic. Many STR units are small, one-bedroom apartments unlikely to accommodate families of 4+. Additionally, families reliant on lower-income jobs within the tourism & rental sectors may face further difficulties if tourism declines & STRs move to LTRs.
Sayonara middle class tourists. Let’s hear it for the entitled one per centers who can stay in the resort hotels, which incidently are totally owned by multinational corporations that suck all those $ right out of the state. Oh and btw the state “repurposing” private property is unconstitutional and won’t solve the housing crisis created by the state. But by the time the Supreme Court overrules that it will be a fait accompli.
Been going to Hawaii for over 40 years but not anymore that’s it it’s over!!! What a shame !!! Way too expensive for what you get!! Hello Andalusia 😄
What an impossible situation- just depressing. Realistically, we may have already enjoyed the last trip to Hawaii. Everything was so expensive, with questionable value. I guess it’s more like “thanks for the memories” but I just can’t see a way forward.
Hotel Prices and fees are going crazy . I lack any confidence booking with condos out of fear of being banned and having to change last minute due to Bill effects confusion. Airfare is reasonable, but because of the housing instability I feel I need to pay extra for fully refundable tickets. Of course reasonable, but Cancellations and mid flight issues. And I am also reading that alot of the sites now require advanced reservations. Then there are fees upon fees for even going to a beach. Clearly Hawaii doesn’t want us there…so I am canceling fall plans and going somewhere else. I give up, they win.
Jeff, I couldn’t have said it better, as much as it breaks my heart. This new development will have the hotels being the monopoly on Maui as they continue to price gouge in offensive fashion. We are headed to Northern California. The Four Seasons there is still expensive, but we don’t feel they are taking advantage of us.
OK well we decided to go ahead and take our chances for what could be our last Hawaii trip if things keep slipping down this expensive path. Everything that I could find regarding 2919 is that it could go into effect Jan 2025. Our trip planning is for laborday week…so pretty sure we can still take adv of condo pricing while it is still legal. 9 nigth trip and Hotels were looking more likely to be in 5-6k or more for hotels…and then 450+ parking. Taking our chances and going with a condo when we find it. shopping for under 3k and free parking. We will see. Likely still going to get hit with tons of extra fees that hurt the wallet. But pricing is only going to go up astronomically from here so taking our chances I guess.
Our Vacation rental is booked solid for the rest of the year, although a few months of that is us, not renters. Sounds like too many owners raised rates too high. Of course demand will drop. Maybe they still net the same or better, though? Hard to say.
No staycation for us. With hotel room prices in the stratosphere and outrageous fees and taxes forget it. No break for kamaaina.
In the immediate post covid period workers moved off the islands,
and visitors increased as US was ahead of the rest of the world with its vaccination successes. Combined with work-from-anywhere thinking, a lot of people could come to Hawaii and work computer jobs.
This sparked the greed of the hotels and condo owners and they raised prices to accommodate the flow of new visitors and the lack of cleaning and maintenance workers. When the rest of the world opened up Hawaii finds itself way overpriced and still under-staffed.
Greed killed the golden goose.
The govt fiddling with the laws won’t change that much, the greed has to come down.
The County of Maui also raised the short term rental property taxes. They are now higher than what the hotels pay. Why? It’s obvious that the politicians are in the hotels’ pockets. These increased costs have helped drive up the STR rates.