About

Welcome to Maui Vacation Rental Association

Supporting legal vacation rentals in Maui County with advocacy and information throughout the State of Hawaii.

We are stronger together. Your membership counts.

What is the MVRA?

Maui Vacation Rental Association is a nonprofit membership organization supporting the 11,000+ vacation rentals in Maui County with advocacy and information. MVRA provides news and updates on current issues affecting single-family Short Term Rental Homes (STRH), Bed & Breakfast homes (B&B), and Transient Vacation Rental Condos (TVR) on Maui.

MVRA is a nonprofit trade association made up of property owners, management companies, rental booking agencies, and members of the business community. Our members include condo owners, bed and breakfast operators, short term rental owners, realtors, brokers, managers, and affiliated businesses.

Since 2001, MVRA has worked with County government, the local community, permit holders, and property owners to establish fair and effective regulations and licensing for vacation rentals. Grassroots efforts remain at the heart of this work, with stakeholders working together for a common cause.

What We Do

• Keep members informed on issues affecting the Vacation Rental Industry
• Attending and digesting county administration, council meetings, planning and commission meetings where vacation rental industry issues are on the agenda
• Meeting with Council members, supporting council members politically, educating council members about the industry
• Reaching out to and supporting other organizations that have similar interests in the vacation rental industry
• Submitting Public Testimony, and reaching out and letting others know when testimony is needed
• Reviewing and reporting on permit conditions and enforcement efficacy
• Reviewing and reporting on real property tax rates and changes
• Attend and contribute to long range community planning meetings for Maui
• Highlight properties and vendors on our website
• Keep the community and visitors informed on safety and cultural issues affecting the vacation rental industry

Our History

Maui Vacation Rental Association was formed in 2002 to help establish fair regulation of short term rental and B&B uses of single-family homes in Maui County. At the time, there were fewer than 25 permitted short term rental homes and B&Bs in Maui County, and more than 800 unpermitted operations of this type.

MVRA has established itself as a primary spokesperson for Maui’s vacation rental industry. Members have participated in hundreds of community meetings, planning commission hearings, and County Council meetings concerning short term rental regulation in Maui County.

Major Accomplishments

• In December 2008, MVRA helped pass the Bed and Breakfast ordinance, allowing many Maui homeowners to apply for permits for short term rental of rooms in their homes or dwellings on the property where they live. This helped permit more than 120 B&Bs.
• In May 2010, MVRA successfully lobbied to keep the tax rate for B&B homeowners from being set at the hotel rate, helping establish a rate that considered the homeowner component of bed and breakfast homes.
• From 2010 through 2019, MVRA participated in general plan meetings to help ensure short term rentals would be included in all areas of Maui under the general plan.
• In May 2012, MVRA helped pass the Short Term Rental ordinance, allowing Maui property owners to apply for permits for short term rental of second homes when managed locally by the owner or licensed professional property managers. This helped permit more than 200 short term rental homes.
• From 2012 through 2013, MVRA worked closely with the Planning Department to establish reasonable permit processing procedures for STRH and B&B permits.
• In May 2014, MVRA successfully lobbied to establish the commercial tax rate, instead of the hotel tax rate, for STRH permit holders.
• From 2010 to 2016, MVRA donated more than $50,000 to Maui charities, including more than $30,000 to the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, more than $12,000 to charitable efforts benefiting Maui public schools, and $5,000 to Maui Food Bank.
• From 2016 to 2020, MVRA continued working with the County to keep STRH and B&B laws and taxation reasonable and fair.
• Maui’s STRH and B&B industry is responsible for 30% of the County’s real property tax budget.
• Maui’s short term rental industry is the largest source of revenue for the Affordable Housing Fund, raising more than $7 million for the fund since 2018.

• Challenging Restrictive County Legislation and Bans: MVRA has consistently organized pushbacks and legal mobilizations against county bills aimed at restricting or phasing out short-term rentals. For instance, when Maui County passed measures targeting short-term rental homes (such as Bill 22 on Molokaʻi setting permit caps to zero), MVRA spearheaded federal lawsuits challenging the bans on constitutional due process and property rights grounds. More recently, the association has been heavily involved in fighting against sweeping phase-out proposals like Bill 9, organizing owner defense funds and public awareness campaigns.

• Economic Defense and Tax Policy Advocacy: MVRA has actively participated in county budget and tax hearings before bodies like the Maui Cost of Government Commission. It has repeatedly lobbied against disproportionate real property tax hikes on the short-term rental classification. By submitting financial data and reports, MVRA has highlighted the sector's contribution as a massive revenue stream for Maui County's operating budget and a crucial economic driver for local small businesses, maintenance vendors, and middle-market tourism.

• Promoting Regulation and Compliance Standards: Rather than opposing all oversight, MVRA historically positioned itself as a supporter of managed and legal hospitality. It has worked to differentiate legally permitted, tax-compliant operators from illegal operators, encouraging strict county enforcement against bad actors while advocating for fair, transparent licensing and permitting processes for compliant owners.

• Visitor Education and Community Relations: The association developed initiatives focused on fostering positive community narratives, promoting sustainable tourism practices, and creating cultural education resources for visitors to minimize friction between neighborhood residents and short-term rental guests.

• Statewide Organizational Consolidation: In late 2025, MVRA transitioned its operational framework by merging its footprint alongside other county-level alliances (OSTRA, HIRPA, and KSTRA) into the unified statewide umbrella organization, the Hawaiʻi Mid- & Short-Term Rental Alliance (HIMAST), to streamline advocacy and policy defense across the Hawaiian Islands.