MAHALO to everyone who participated during the State Legislative session. It was a hard-fought battle and we greatly appreciate your efforts. We cannot do this without your ongoing support.

Below are critical updates through this past week. Become a member or encourage others to join to receive the latest news on matters that impact our industry.

STATE UPDATE

• MVRA helped to defeat over 20 state bills during this past session that were harmful to our industry with the support of other island alliances and the new statewide advocacy organization- Hawaii Mid and Short-Term Rental Alliance (HIMAST).

• SB2919, which grants counties full control over short-term rentals, unfortunately passed the legislature, and was recently signed into law by the Governor.

• This legislation takes effect January 1, 2025.

COUNTY UPDATE

With the passage of SB2919, the County of Maui has announced that they will introduce a bill to phase out STRs on the Minatoya List.

• A draft of the Bill is not yet available, but we will let you know when it has been issued.

• As described by Mayor Bissen, the measure would:
• Phase out all STRs on the Minatoya List located in West Maui effective July 1, 2025.
• Phase out all STRs on the Minatoya List located in all other parts of Maui effective January 1, 2026.

• The Bill is scheduled to be heard by the Maui Planning Commission on June 25, 2024 with Molokai and Lanai Planning Commission hearings to follow.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Your support is needed more than ever! We need everyone from the STR industry to join our fight to kill this Bill.

• Recruit - Please reach out to family and friends on the island as well as your property managers, cleaners and vendors who work within the industry. We will need their voices to be heard!

• Testimony - Start drafting testimony – emphasize your personal story. In addition, be sure to highlight how phasing out STRs will hurt the local economy and community. MVRA will be distributing key messages very soon.

• Join MVRA - Encourage others to join MVRA to support this effort and stay informed!

• Become a Leader - If you are interested in becoming more involved, we are actively seeking new Board Members. Please send us a message if you are interested.

MVRA ACTION PLAN

• MVRA is actively engaged with STR platforms Airbnb and Expedia to coordinate activities and leverage resources.

• MVRA is also actively engaged with other industry organizations including HIMAST to mobilize advocates on Maui and throughout the state.

• MVRA is in discussions with expert attorneys to support our industry as we push back on proposed policies.

• MVRA is currently transitioning a new Executive Director. Throughout this process, the organization remains active and continues to lead advocacy efforts on Maui.

• MVRA continues to add members to strengthen its Board of Directors to advocate on behalf of the Maui STR community. We encourage you to reach out if you’re interested in joining the Board.