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…

70 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

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…

124 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

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…

237 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

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

Kapalua Bay Villas

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…

1638 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

In the press release issued on November 17, 2025, Maui County Council has scheduled a special Council Meeting for the First Reading of Bill 9.

For Immediate Release: 

Press Release by:

Alice L. Lee, Chair
Maui County Council
media@mauicounty.us

First reading of Bill 9 on TVRs in apartment districts scheduled for Dec. 1

WAILUKU, HawaiĘ»i (Nov. 17, 2025)—The bill that would phase out transient vacation rental uses in the apartment zoning districts is being scheduled for a special council meeting Dec. 1 at 9 a.m., Council Chair Alice L. Lee announced today.

The Housing and Land Use Committee received Bill 9, CD1 (2025) approved by the Department of the Corporation Counsel as to form and legality Oct. 8, Lee said. Subsequently, committee Chair…

2834 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

The Maui County Council's Housing and Land Use Committee formed a Temporary Investigative Group (TIG) to assess the feasibility and economic impacts of Bill 9. 

Bill 9 was proposed by Maui's Mayor in 2024 and aims to create affordable housing by phasing out Short Term Rentals in the Apartment Zones.  If implemented as written, the Bill would phase out short-term rentals in more than 7000 properties across Maui County.

It's important to understand that the TIG is not tasked with making recommendations to alter Bill 9, but rather proposes other legislation, policy and zoning changes that the County should implement. 

Maui, like many places across the world, is facing a housing crisis, which was exacerbated by the tragic Lahaina Fires.  The Mayor…

2497 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Today, July 24th, the Maui County Council's Housing and Land Use Committee advanced Bill 9, CD-1.

Per the Council's Facebook page: "The Housing and Land Use Committee on Thursday recommended the council pass Bill 9, CD1 (2025) on first reading. The committee report will attach the updated version of the bill, incorporating the committee's amendments, for posting on a future council agenda. The amended bill would phase out transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts over three years in West Maui and five years elsewhere. The committee's file on the bill is available online: tinyurl.com/Bill9file"

In final comments by Council Members, while the hope was it would provide affordable housing and prevent residents from moving to the mainland,…

4985 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED BAN ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN MAUI'S APARTMENT DISTRICTS

Click to read Update as of July 24, 2026

The Maui County Council's Housing and Land Use Committee voted 6-3 in favor of passing Bill 9, which would serve to phase out Transient Vacation Rentals in Maui County's Apartment Districts.

>The Bill will now go to the council for a second reading and a final vote. That said, as all nine council members are committee members, in all likelihood, the vote will remain the same.

Update as of July 3, 2025

After hearing passionate testimony in favor and opposition of the ban on Short Term Rentals in Maui's apartment districts, the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee began deliberations in a closed executive…

2884 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

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 2025-2026 as well as a summary of how they've changed over the years.

Maui County Property Tax Rates 2025 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. 

Classification 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Owner Occupied  $1.65-$5.75 $1.80-$3.25 $1.90-2.75 $2.00-2.71 $2.41-2.71 $2.51-2.61 $2.90 $2.85 $2.86 $2.70 …

7695 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED BAN ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN MAUI'S APARTMENT DISTRICTS

Click to read Update on July 24, 2025

Update as of June 18, 2025:

The County Council heard in person and online testimony on June 9, 2025. Hundreds came to testify and were given three minutes.  Every person that testified were passionate in their position, some for and some against the bill, each raising excellent points about an issue that is pressing here in Maui County: affordable housing and how can we create more of it? 

Written testimony about Bill 9 can be viewed online here

The next public hearing will be on June 18, 2025.  

Maui County to hear bill to ban short term rentals

On Monday June 9, 2025 Maui County will hold a public hearing regarding Bill 9 (2025), entitled “A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE…

11825 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post
Next