Maui County Vacation Rentals at 41.8 Percent Occupancy for December

Maui County had a 41.8 percent occupancy rate for vacation rentals during December 2020 with an average daily rate of $277, according to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Vacation Rental Performance Report.

For the last month of 2020, Maui County had the largest vacation rental supply of all four Hawaiian counties with 250,800 available unit nights (-10.6% from 2019) and with unit demand of 104,800 unit nights (-52.7% from 2019). The occupancy rate was down -37.2 percentage points and ADR down 24.8 percent from the previous year.

For December 2020, Maui County hotels were 26 percent occupied with an ADR of $501.

For the year 2020, there were 2.1 million available vacation rental unit nights in Maui County (-33.1% from 2019) with occupancy at 42.4 percent (-46.3 percentage points) and ADR of $293. Maui County hotels were 33.9 percent occupied in 2020 with ADR at $414.

For the state of Hawaiʻi, the total supply of vacation rentals for December 2020 was 621,100 unit nights (-25.4%). Monthly demand was 251,300 unit nights (-59.9%), resulting in an average monthly unit occupancy of 40.5 percent (-34.9 percentage points). 

Hawaii’s hotels had an average occupancy rate of 23.8 percent in December 2020.

It is important to note that unlike hotels, units are not necessarily available year round or each day of the month for condominium hotels, timeshare resorts and vacation rentals. They also often accommodate a larger number of guests than traditional hotel rooms.

The unit average daily rate (ADR) for vacation rental units statewide in December was $251, which was less than the ADR for hotels ($291). 
 
In December, legal short-term rentals were allowed to operate on Oahu, Hawaii Island and Kauai as long as they were not being used as a quarantine location. For Maui County, vacation rentals were also allowed to operate during December, but could only be used as a place of quarantine by interisland travelers awaiting their pre-travel test results.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Tourism Research Division issued the report’s findings utilizing data compiled by Transparent Intelligence, Inc. The data in this report specifically excludes units reported in HTA’s Hawaii Hotel Performance Report and Hawaii Timeshare Quarterly Survey Report.

In this report, a vacation rental is defined as the use of a rental house, condominium unit, private room in private home, or shared room/space in private home. This report also does not determine or differentiate between units that are permitted or unpermitted. The “legality” of any given vacation rental unit is determined on a county basis.

Year-to-Date December 2020

Short-term rentals were not on the state’s list of essential businesses at the beginning of June, and the county mayors then enacted their own rules regarding short-term rentals. On Oahu, short-term rentals were not allowed to operate for much of 2020. For Hawaii Island, Kauai and Maui County, legal short-term rentals were allowed to operate as long as they were not used as quarantine locations. However, in October, Maui County started allowing travelers awaiting their pre-travel test results to stay in a vacation rental as their place of quarantine.

In 2020, the statewide vacation rental supply fell by 39.6 percent compared to 2019 levels with 6 million available unit nights. Unit demand was more sharply impacted, down 65.1 percent to 2.6 million unit nights. The average 2020 occupancy for Hawaii vacation rental units was 42.8 percent (-42.3 percentage points) and ADR was $238 (-17.9%). In comparison, Hawaii hotels were 37.1 percent occupied in 2020 with ADR at $267.

Island Highlights

Oʻahu vacation rental supply was 135,900 available unit nights (-41.7%) in December. Unit demand was 62,800 unit nights (-64.4%), resulting in 46.2 percent occupancy(-29.5 percentage points) and an ADR of $204 (-19.5%).

Oʻahu hotels were 23.6 percent occupied with an ADR of $184. Oʻahu had 1.7 million available unit nights (-46.4%) in 2020. Oʻahu vacation rental occupancy was 42.4 percent (-43.4 percentage points) and ADR was $184. In comparison, Oʻahu hotels reported 39.0 percent occupancy in 2020 with ADR at $216.

The island of Hawaiʻi vacation rental supply was 129,000 available unit nights (-35.8%) in December. Unit demand was 59,300 unit nights (-58.9%), resulting in 46.0 percent occupancy (-25.9 percentage points) with an ADR of $232 (-7.4%). Hawaiʻi Island hotels were 26.8 percent occupied with an ADR of $329.

Vacation rental supply for the year was down 42.1 percent to 1.4 million unit nights for Hawaiʻi Island. Hawaiʻi Island vacation rentals ended the year with 44.6 percent occupancy (-32.7 percentage points) and ADR of $188 (-20.5). In comparison, Hawaiʻi Island hotels were 38 percent occupied in 2020 with ADR at $254.

Kauaʻi had the fewest number of available unit nights in December at 105,500 (-10.7%). Unit demand was 24,400 unit nights (-71.2%), resulting in 23.1 percent occupancy (-48.7 percentage points) with an ADR of $309 (-21.6%). Kauaʻi hotels were 13.4 percent occupied with an ADR of $178.

In 2020, Kauaʻi vacation rental supply was 877,300 available unit nights (-33.7%) with 41.5 percent occupancy (-44.9 percentage points). Kauaʻi vacation rental ADR was the highest in the state at $297 (-21%). Kauaʻi hotels were 33.0 percent occupied in 2020 with ADR at $262.

Tables of vacation rental performance statistics, including data presented in the report are available for viewing online at: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/research/infrastructure-research/