A Lahaina-based, locally owned property management company is making it easier for its owners to convert to long-term rentals to support fire survivors.
Maui Paradise Properties is one of the only local companies certified through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist vacation rental owners in the conversion program.
President John Kevan says his company has been educating condo owners and assuring them management will continue once they convert to long-term rentals.
“We will continue to be the property manager,” he explained. “We will write up the leases like we normally do for short-term and long-term. We will be doing monthly inspections with the tenants because the owners are concerned about their assets and the condition, and are they being taken care of.”
“We’re able to, by contract, schedule our maintenance tasks that have to be done. If there’s any damage or anything we see that is a problem, we will report it to FEMA and we will deal with FEMA in terms of getting things fixed and we’ll run all that for you,” Kevan added.
A warehousing inventory system is also available to store owners’ personal items from their units.
“Initially we had five owners out of our 300 who were interested in going to FEMA,” Kevan continued. “We have now signed up over 70 because they’re much more comfortable knowing that we will continue to manage their property.”
He says 23 of his employees lost everything in the fire and he wants to help survivors while also supporting rental owners through the process.
A majority of the 300 condos Maui Paradise Properties manages are in West Maui.
