Maui Vacation Rentals Operating Illegally
October 28th, 2006
Exact numbers are hard to come by in the bed-and-breakfast and vacation rental industry. But in Wailaku Hawaii, the number of legally permitted vacation rentals is known: 2
A study paid for by the Realtors Association of Maui found about 816 B&Bs and transient vacation rental businesses operating in Maui County last year, but only two are legal.
Fewer than 50 B&Bs have gotten through the permit process since it was passed in 1997.
Tanna Swanson, president of the Maui Bed and Breakfast Association, says her group has “about 15″ full voting members. She says in its early years, the group had as many as 180 members, and it has many more than 15 “supportive members” who do not have county permits and cannot vote but do take part in association discussions.
The Maui Vacation Rental Association has about 150 members, says President David Dantes. That is down from about 180 last year.
He attributes the decline to overinvestment and a market correction to match demand.
He says he has some confidence in the 816 figure determined by the Kauaian Institute, because its methodology surveyed every likely way that businesses, whether legal or not, would advertise themselves.
Asked by Planning Commissioner Johanna Amorin how many rental businesses are operating in the agricultural zone, he guessed around 200.
Oh, and just in case all that legality stuff doesn’t bother you, here is a list of rentals in Maui.