Major Changes Ahead for Maui Tenants, Landlords as Eviction Moratorium Ends

 

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Significant changes are coming to countless Maui tenants and landlords.

The island’s eviction moratorium is expiring on Tuesday. That means landlords will be able to start the process of kicking out tenants who have not been paying their rent.

After the 2023 fires, Gov. Josh Green issued an Emergency Proclamation which included an eviction moratorium, preventing landlords from evicting tenants. It was an effort to help Maui residents after the disaster.

It has been almost 18 months since that has been in place and the governor’s team says it is time for it to be lifted.

“There’s always this kind of time of when do you lift it? When does it start impacting landlords’ ability to pay their own mortgages if they have tenants who aren’t paying rent? And when does that scale tip?” said Tia Hartsock, Hawaii’s Office of Wellness and Resilience Director. “This is the longest we could push it back.”

Some landlords can start the process of eviction as early as Wednesday, Feb. 5.

“People are scared. They don’t understand what’s happening,” Leslee Matthews told councilmembers on Monday.

But the change comes with some rules.

To evict tenants, landlords will have to follow the Act 202 process that requires them to notify Maui Mediation Services.

“We are preparing for a flood,” said Maui Mediation Services Executive Director Bevanne Bowers.

Mediation is not required unless the tenant requests it and schedules it within 15 days after receiving their landlord’s notice.

“The tenant right now can contact us before that February 5th date because we want to bring landlords and tenants together to see if they can work out their own solutions regarding unpaid rent amounts,” Bowers said.

Rent increases are still illegal.

If anyone knows of landlords increasing rent or trying to evict without engaging in the Act 202 process, email [email protected].

“It’s really important for people to understand that eviction only happens when a judge says that you are evicted, give you a piece of paper. It’s called a writ and that is the moment that eviction actually happens. But there’s a whole process that could happen before that, and that’s what Act 202 is encouraging, landlords and tenants to participate in is a mediation process before even the court process.” said Uilani Goods, managing attorney for Legal Aid Society of Hawaii Maui Nui Offices.