Caught in the cross-hairs of both the legislature and the hotel lobby. Are you still inclined to choose Hawaii vacation rentals over hotels?
Leave a Comment
67 thoughts on “Hawaii Vacation Rentals Struggle Amid Policy Turmoil, Demand Slides”
Caught in the cross-hairs of both the legislature and the hotel lobby. Are you still inclined to choose Hawaii vacation rentals over hotels?
I found out the hard way there is no “Aloha Law”.
We’ve been doing the condo thing since we retired and can stay longer period and I wouldn’t want to stay in hotel now that costs more, has resort fees and doesn’t even have a microwave.
I think one thing your chart isn’t showing is how the taxes and fees have increased and charges have gone up. We are literally paying twice as much now as we did for a condo in January 2020 before COVID. And that was a two bedroom at this complex and now we are in a one bedroom on Maui. Also people may have fear now of booking and getting canceled on when Governor forces host to go to long term rentals leaving them with other reservation costs they can’t recoup. It almost happened to us this year
Truth be told hotel lobbyists are targeting to kill short term vacation rentals for their gain. With the downturn in Hawaii’s tourism post pandemic, these STVRs are also suffering. But it’s even worse for hotels with all their thousands of empty units. Who would pay for those horrendous hotel prices? Even with increased price after the pandemic to cope with economic challenges and exhorbitant taxes, STVRs are still affordable and the best option for tourists. The STVRs are a bone in the neck for hotel lobbyists/owners. It all boils down to annihilating the competitor, the STVRs, in the name of affordable housing and thus have a monopoly of tourist accommodations and revenues.
Yep! To quote an oft-used phrase, “Follow The Money !”
Nobody can force condo owners to go long term and rent to people they don’t want to rent to. All of that was just posturing by the governor and the mayor, shamelessly using the fires to look like they cared about the people who vote for them.
Of course they can?
I have a condo in Las Vegas and the county has a minimum 31 day stay for rentals. I guess you could only stay a week, but that means I can rent it again until your 31 day lease is over.
It’s a little different in Hawaii.
The owners of most short-term rentals would not rent them out long-term if their ability to rent them out short-term was removed. They would simply keep them as vacation homes, or if they couldn’t afford to do that, they would simply sell them to someone who *could* afford to keep them as vacation homes.
I repeat – Nobody can force condo owners to go long term and rent to people they don’t want to rent to. Removing their short-term renting ability will not solve their long-term housing problem. Only building new, affordable housing will do that.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, in the old Ewa plantation town, in 1956. I served 20 years in the military and served an extra 24 years as a civil servant for the Department of the Air Force. I live in Nebraska now but it has been my dream to return, buy my own home, and live out the rest of my days in the islands of my birth. The plan is to go the short term rental route until i can realize my dream. But now Hawaii is trying to stiffle my plans to do this, to own my own home so someone else can have their home? Come on Hawaii. Please don’t kill the dream of your own home boy for another. Such double standards!
As a local, I don’t want to be forced to stay in a hotel when I travel outer island. Many times, I’m not on vacation and I don’t want all those extra amenities. I just need a no frills place to stay away from the touristy areas. Luckily, I live on Oahu so I don’t have to be forced to stay in a cheap hotel in Waikiki, however, I feel bad for a local family coming from outer Island who needs to be in close proximity to town but want to avoid Waikiki but can’t because all the vacation rentals in outside of Waikiki have been eliminated. I think foreign owned vacation rentals should be disallowed and I think that locals that rent a portion of their own home that they reside in should also be allowed.
I love hotels. But I like saving money through STVR’s better. We were loyal Kaanapali hotel guests, but for the last two decades we would stay at a vacation rental and then hang out at the hotels. You should see my bar bills over the years. We love hotel people, we love hotel food options, we love hotel amenities, but when they are asking 700 to 800 dollars a night there is a disconnect. Happy to spend money on the campus, but not that price for a few hours sleep every night. First world problem, I know. Don’t judge me.
I have a short term Vacation Rental, which I charged 249 per night I checked the hotels on the big island, Monika, Marriot Hapuna, prince and the orchid at Mililani. They range from 749 a night to 1202 a night, so you tell me who the greedy people are. I’m a hosted Vacation Rental and the money I just live and subsist in Hawaii I do not make a huge amount of money compared to the hotels, HTA President is in the back pocket of the hotel owners along with Governor Green. It’s pathetic., so how many people do you think think it’ll Florida hotel on a family vacation with a minimum 729 a night
The last time I went to the Big Island (Fall 2019), I rented several Airbnbs rooms for about $79 total in the Kona area. We were there because I hadn’t been to the BI since I was a kid and I wanted to visit family that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Since then, the Airbnbs have shot up in price, and as a local, no longer can afford to travel outer island. $249/night is still insane. Locals who barely earn a living wage to live in Hawaii can’t even afford to travel to another Island these days and it’s sad.
Agreed! Well put.
Sure enjoy staying at a vacation rental! I feel it’s so much nicer than a big hotel stay! At least I can cook on my own if I want and save money that way. Also nice not to be surrounded by lots of other people ,all trying to maneuver at some of the same times..
Messaging and news stories make me feel unwelcome to visit Hawaii again. What do those opposed to tourism propose? Wholesale coconuts fetch 92 cents a piece, pineapples can go for a dollar, sugar cane perhaps 52 cents a pound.
Hawaii condos cost a huge amount to buy and monthly maintenance fees are astronomical. Most are too small for family living. Those in vacation rental status allow a longer term, more affordable, and needed alternative to hotel rooms. They fill a niche for folks that stay longer and prefer to cook many of their own meals. These folks, like this writer, will not stay in a resort hotel. Vacation rentals are heavilly taxed. Condos pay property taxes. Attempting to turn an ocean front condo complex into a residential apartment complex will bankrupt many of them while destroying the property value. It could be argued that it would be an unlawful taking unless the complex was condemed via eminent domain and owners paid fair market value.
You hit the nail on the head 🤙
The monthly assessments and property taxes are already suffering from the Lahaina tragedy and subsequent Governor Order for every guest to get off Island 🏝️ in two days caused massive cancellations!
Aloha,
My hotel tolerance is 3 nights. Any longer and it’s a condo. Period. You guys seem to be doing a bit of back-pedalling on the condo issue in paragraph 4. I can assure you, a condo is usually 40 to 50 percent cheaper for the same quality of accommodation, plus, it’s a condo, Not a room. Full kitchen, BBQ, pool, in-suite laundry, and parking is included, not 50-75 dollars per night. The reviews tell all. When we travel our first choice is a condo, unless it’s a convention, then we stay with the crowd, and that is usually really expensive and not worth it.
“Legislature Seeks To Eliminate Hawaii Vacation Rentals”???…That is the dumbest thing I’ve heard today. I would never stay in a hotel on vacation. Good luck Hawaii.
Mahalo