Ask the Mayor: Permit Requirements for Short Term Rentals

Tourism/Leis. Photo by Wendy Osher.

The mayor answers questions from the public in this series.

By Mayor Alan Arakawa

Q: My neighbors don’t live on Maui, but it seems like their house is always full of short-term tenants. I see different people there every month; some of them keep to themselves and some of them are very rude.

These people seem to be staying too long for your typical tourist but much shorter than the average resident. Can my neighbors rent out their home with that kind of fast turnaround?

I thought they had to at least live on-site for that to happen.

A: No, residential zoning districts only allow for long-term residential use, which is 180 days or longer. Anything shorter than that, which is what it seems you are describing, would require a permit.

A bed-and-breakfast permit requires that the owner or manager live on property and that rooms can be rented out to different parties.

A short-term rental permit does not require an on-site presence like B&Bs, but the home can only be rented to one party at a time.

Both permits allow up to six bedrooms to be rented. If it’s not being used as a B&B or a short-term rental then a conditional use permit would be required for occupancy less than 180 days.

You can file a Request for Services (RFS) online so that we may look into your neighbor’s situation. Just click on this link to initiate the RFS process: www.mauicounty.gov/RFS.

Keep in mind that if no fees are being charged and the unit is not being advertised, friends are allowed to stay in the home as a residential use.

Want to Ask the Mayor?

Submit your questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email: [email protected], phone: 270-7855 or mail: 200 S. High Street, 9th Floor, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the Ask the Mayor column.