Bringing Your Pet to Maui: What You Need to Know about Direct Release and Quarantine

How to Bring Your Pet to Maui: What You Need to Know about Direct Release and Quarantine

Bringing a pet to Maui takes careful planning, but with the right timeline, pet owners do not have to subject their pets to quarantine. 

As a Maui resident, I've gone through this process myself with my dog Lily.  I've taken her with me on two trips to the mainland, and gone through this process with the guidance of the Maui Humane Society's Direct Release program.

To be honest, I was nervous about flying with Lily and getting everything done properly.  I worked with Judson Goode of MHS and he answered all of my questions and helped guide me through the steps and how to fill out the State paperwork properly.  When we landed back on Maui the first time, he met…

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Maui Vacation Rental FAQs: What you need to know about STRs and TVRs

Maui Vacation Rental (Transient Accommodations) FAQ's

Maui's short-term rental landscape has changed more in the last nine months than in the previous two decades, and it continues to evolve.

The County Council passed Bill 9 (Ordinance 5909) in December 2025, launching the largest short-term rental phase-out in Hawaiʻi's history. Under Bill 9, more than 7,000 apartment-zoned units that have operated as legal vacation rentals must cease short-term rental use by January 1, 2029 in West Maui and January 1, 2031 in the rest of the county. The legislation's goal is to convert these units into long-term, affordable housing for Maui residents.

In the wake of the ensuing litigation, the County Council passed Bill 88 (Ordinance 6008) in June 2026 — a…

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Maui HLU Committee Reviews Hotel Rezoning Resolutions for Sea Level Rise Properties

Update: Maui County is scheduled to meet to review additional testimony on Wednesday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m.
In-person Testimony: Planning Conference Room (Kalana Pakui Building, 250 South High St., Wailuku)
Online via Teams: tinyurl.com/HLU-Committee

Maui County's Housing and Land Use Committee is looking at rezoning apartment-zoned properties scheduled to phase out short-term rentals per Ordinance 5909 (Bill 9) that are unlikely to convert to affordable housing for a variety of reasons, including mixed zoning on the property, high maintenance fees, sea level rise exposure area.  

On August 5, 2026, the Maui County Council's Housing and Land Use Committee began reviewing properties in the Sea Level Rise Exposure Areas.

This is similar to the last…

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Maui County Council Advances Hotel Zoning Recommendations to Maui Planning Department: July 29, 2026 Zoning Update

Maui County STR & Zoning Update, July 29, 2026

Update 8/10/26: Maui County Planning Commission is scheduled to meet on September 4, 2026 to review these ordinances.

On July 24, 2026, the Maui County Council passed two resolutions that would transition over 2000 apartment zoned short-term rentals into new hotel zoning.  The vote was 7-1.  

The properties are currently subject to Ordinance 5909, known as Bill 9, which will phase out short-term rentals in A1 and A2 apartment districts in West Maui on January 1, 2029 and across the rest of Maui County on January 1, 2030. At that time,  uses would be limited to long-term rentals (six months or longer), owner-occupied units, or non-owner-occupied (second homes).

Resolutions 26-110 and 26-111 efer…

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West Maui Condominiums: Mid Year Market Update 2026

West Maui Condo Market Update: First Half of 2026 

The West Maui condominium market shifted meaningfully between the first half of 2025 and the first half of 2026. Closed sales rose 22% across the region, from 121 transactions to 148, while median and average sale prices eased and properties spent more time on market before selling. Together, these numbers point to a market with more choice for buyers and more competitive positioning for sellers.

Below is a look at what moved across West Maui overall, then district by district in the Kapalua Resort, Napili/Kahana/Honokowai, Kaanapali, and Lahaina.

West Maui Condos at a Glance

Sales activity picked up notably, with closed transactions climbing from 121 to 148 year over year, a 22% increase.…

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Live Aloha, Give Aloha Spotlight: Aloha Pu'u Kukui

Live Aloha, Give Aloha:
Protecting the Forest That Gives Kapalua Its Water

The Kapalua Resort sits within one of the most extraordinary ahupua‘a on Maui — a traditional land division that runs unbroken from the mountain summit to the sea. It's easy to fall in love with the golden light on the golf courses, the turquoise water at D.T. Fleming Beach, or the quiet elegance of a Kapalua sunset. But none of it exists without what's happening quietly, far above the resort, at the top of the West Maui Mountains.

That's where Pu‘u Kukui begins.

We're kicking off a new series here on the blog called Live Aloha, Give Aloha — a spotlight on the organizationsdoing the real work of caring for Maui, and the many ways you can join in, whether that's rolling up…

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Maui's Bill 9, Bill 88, & Short-Term Rental Zoning: What Condo Owners and Buyers Need to Know

Maui Bill 9, Bill 88 & Short-Term Rental Zoning: What Condo Owners and Buyers Need to Know

The Kapalua Bay Villas are an apartment-zoned condominium located in the Kapalua Resort

This post was originally posted on July 2, 2026, and updated August 15, 2026.

Editor’s Note: Maui’s short-term rental zoning landscape continues to evolve. This article reflects the legislation and proposals under consideration as of its original publication date. Subsequent County Council, Planning Commission and court actions may affect the information discussed below. Please see “Maui Short-Term Rentals: County Council and Zoning Updates” for the most recent developments.  It should be noted that Short Term Rentals (STR), Transient Vacation Rentals (TVR) and…

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2026 Maui Property Tax Rates: New Rates & Tiers for Maui Property Taxes in 2026-27

Each year, Maui County does two things: assesses the value of the property AND sets new rates for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from July 1st-June 30th.  The Maui County Council has proposed the rates below for 2026-2027 as well as a summary of how they've changed over the years.

Maui County Property Tax Rates 2026 vs Prior Years

Rates are per $1000 of assessed value.  In 2020, the County introduced a new Tiered assessment.  Prior to that, there was a flat rate per the classification. The ranges of the tiers have been changed since first introduced.

How have Maui Property Taxes Changed? What increased in 2026 vs. 2025?

• Owner Occupied/Homeowner.  Tier 1 (0%),  Tier 2 (0%), Tier 3 (-13%)
• Non-Owner Occupied.  Tier 1 (+6%),…

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Maui County announces intent to acquire West Maui water infrastructure from Maui Land & Pineapple

May 18, 2026

In a historic meeting, the County of Maui announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Inc. (MLP) to acquire its West Maui water infrastructure, which includes the water supply to the Kapalua Resort.  This acquisition is the latest in an effort to provide more security to West Maui residents an move one of the county's most valuable resources away from private companies and into the hands of the government. 

Maui County has many privately held water companies, which are a vestige of the old sugar and Pineapple Companies.  A lack of water has been cited as a barrier to building much-needed affordable housing for local residents in the wake of the Lahaina fire. 

In…

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Maui Real Estate Statistics through March 2026

Each month, the Realtor's Association of Maui publishes updates on the Maui real estate market. 

The Maui Real Estate Market

The Maui real estate market in March 2026 is defined by increased selectivity and emerging opportunity. After several years of rapid appreciation during the covid era, the market is recalibrating—creating a more balanced environment across both Maui homes for sale and Maui condos for sale.

While pricing has softened in certain segments, underlying demand remains strong in Maui’s resort communities of Wailea and Makena.

Key Maui Real Estate Statistics – March 2026

• Median Price (Single-Family): $1,200,000 ↓ 7.3% (homes) ↓ 17.7% (condos)
• New Listings: ↓ 23.9% (homes), ↓ 18.5% (condos)
• Pending Sales: ↓ 8.1%…

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