Why is there a controversy surrounding illegal transient vacation rentals?
The previous Administration told operators that if they submitted an application, they could operate unless and until the application was denied. Simultaneously, the previous Administration told operators that if they requested their applications to be put on hold, the Administration would stop processing them. This created a situation that would allow illegal TVRs to operate indefinitely. Consequently, illegal TVR operators whose locations were in residential, rural and agricultural districts (areas that require a conditional permit) believed that they had a contract with the County of Maui that allowed them to operate without a permit in areas not zoned for their business. The District Court eventually ruled that there was no such contract. Additionally, property buyers who were considering operating a TVR have been ill-advised when told by a seller or a sellers representative that a permit was not necessary or that the permitting process was a simple one.
