Short-term rental rules · Maui County, Hawaii
Short-term rentals in Maui County, explained properly.
Maui County enacted Bill 9 in December 2025, the largest short-term rental phase-out in U.S. history: it eliminates the 'Minatoya List' nonconforming-use exemption that let roughly 6,208 apartment-zoned units operate as vacation rentals. West Maui units (Lahaina, Ka'anapali, Honokowai, Kahana, Kapalua) must stop operating by January 1, 2029; all other apartment-zoned units countywide (Ma'alaea, Kihei, Wailea, South Maui, Hana, Molokai) must stop by January 1, 2031. There is no renewal, opt-out, or appeal process once a deadline passes. Hotel-zoned and resort-zoned properties, permitted bed-and-breakfast homes, and permitted short-term rental homes under separate code chapters are not affected by Bill 9 and continue operating under their existing rules.
Draft. These rules were compiled from the sources listed below — official where available, with fields that rely on secondary sources marked for review — and have not yet been checked line by line. Confirm with the city before making decisions.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Bill 9 signed into law December 15, 2025 | Mayor Richard Bissen signed Bill 9 into law on December 15, 2025, following a 5-3 Maui County Council vote, enacting what is described as the largest short-term rental phase-out in U.S. history[1][2] |
| West Maui phase-out deadline: January 1, 2029 | Apartment-zoned short-term rental units in West Maui — Lahaina, Ka'anapali, Honokowai, Kahana, and Kapalua — must stop operating as short-term rentals by January 1, 2029[2] |
| Rest of county phase-out deadline: January 1, 2031 | Apartment-zoned short-term rental units everywhere else in Maui County — Ma'alaea, Kihei, Wailea, South Maui, Hana, and Molokai — must stop operating as short-term rentals by January 1, 2031[2] |
| Roughly 6,208 units affected | As of a May 29, 2024 count, 6,208 'Minatoya List' apartment-zoned units were actively operating as short-term rentals; the county expects more than 6,000 units to eventually return to long-term residential use as a result of the phase-out[1] |
| Geographic distribution of affected units | Of the affected apartment-zoned units, roughly 60% are in South Maui, roughly 36% are in West Maui, and roughly 4% are in Hana, Pa'ia, and Molokai[1] |
| No renewal, opt-out, or appeal after the deadline | Once a unit's phase-out deadline passes, its nonconforming-use protection expires permanently, with no renewal option, no opt-out, and no pathway to preserve apartment-zoned short-term rental use for that unit[2] |
| Hotel/resort-zoned units, B&Bs, and permitted STR homes unaffected | Bill 9 does not affect hotel-zoned or resort-zoned properties, permitted bed-and-breakfast homes, or permitted short-term rental homes operating under separate code chapters — these categories continue operating under their existing rules; roughly 6,500 TVR parcels outside apartment zones, thousands of hotel units, and 2,400+ timeshare/B&B operations are unaffected[1][2] |
| Owners may pursue rezoning to a hotel district | Owners of affected apartment-zoned units may pursue alternative options before their deadline, including applying for rezoning into an existing or future hotel district, or converting to a permitted bed-and-breakfast or short-term rental home permit; roughly 4,519 units were recommended for transition into proposed new H-3/H-4 hotel zoning districts[1][3]Confirming |
| Existing enforcement penalties for unpermitted STRs | Enforcement of Bill 9 relies on Maui County's existing code enforcement framework from a 2018 voter-approved charter amendment implemented in December 2019: an initial fine of $20,000 for operating an STR without a valid permit, and a daily fine of $10,000 for each day of continued illegal operation[2]Confirming |
| Last researched | September 25, 2026 |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & zoning
| 'Minatoya List' units defined by apartment zoning | The units affected by Bill 9 are specifically apartment-zoned (A-1 and A-2 zoning district) properties operating as transient vacation rentals under a grandfathered nonconforming-use list known as the 'Minatoya List' — units in hotel, resort, or other zoning districts are not on this list and are not affected[3] |
|---|
Legislative history
| Deadline dates were debated before final passage | During the bill's consideration, two different phase-out deadlines were debated: the Mayor's original proposal of July 1, 2028, and a Housing and Land Use Committee Chair amendment proposing July 1, 2030; the final enacted law instead set the two-tier deadlines of January 1, 2029 (West Maui) and January 1, 2031 (rest of county)[3][2]Confirming |
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Enforcement & penalties
| Passed following the 2023 Lahaina wildfire | Bill 9's passage followed years of housing-shortage pressure intensified by the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire; Mayor Bissen noted that 94% of the affected units are owned by people who do not live in Maui County, and most do not live in Hawaii at all[1]Confirming |
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Changes
Recent and pending changes
This is one of the most significant and time-sensitive markets in the database. Maui County's own Bill 9 overview page and press release on the mayor's signing are the primary official sources to monitor. Because implementation details (administrative rules, exact enforcement procedures, and any legal challenges) are still developing after a December 2025 signing, this market should be checked frequently. Any legal challenge to Bill 9, any administrative rule clarifying the phase-out process, or any change to the January 2029/2031 deadlines would be a very high-impact change for subscribers watching this market, including anyone currently operating or considering purchasing an apartment-zoned vacation rental in Maui County.
Sources
Every rule above links to one of these
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.