Bill 9 and Maui's Short-Term Rental Phase-Out: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

Last time, I walked through the Minatoya List‍ ‍that's let thousands of apartment-zoned condos on Maui operate as short-term rentals for decades. If you haven't read that one, start there, because Bill 9 is what puts an expiration date on the whole thing.

Here's what's actually in the law, what it means for the timeline and what I'd tell you if you're buying, selling, or already own one of these units.

What Bill 9 Actually Is

To recap: On December 15, 2025, the Maui County Council passed Bill 9 and the mayor signed it into law the same day. It's now Ordinance No. 5909, and it's considered the largest short-term rental phase-out in Hawaii's history.

In plain terms: it strips short-term rental rights away from apartment-zoned condos (A-1 and A-2 zoning) — including every unit on the Minatoya List — on a set timeline, with no way to renew, opt out, or grandfather your way past it.

The Deadlines That Matter

This is the part everyone actually needs to know:

As of now, west Maui (Lahaina, Ka’anapali, Honokowai, Napili, Kapalua) properties must stop operating as short-term rentals by January 1, 2029. Everywhere else in the county (Kihei, Wailea, Ma'alaea, and beyond) has until January 1, 2031.

Those dates are written directly into the ordinance. Earlier drafts floated different timelines, but these are the ones that are legally binding.

What Isn't Changing

To be clear: Bill 9 doesn't ban all short-term rentals on Maui outright. Hotel- and resort-zoned properties are untouched by this law, so if a condo you're looking at has true hotel zoning (not just historical Minatoya List permission), this doesn't apply to it. Bed & breakfast homes and other short-term rental categories under separate parts of the county code also continue as before.

What's ending is specifically the practice of apartment-zoned buildings operating like hotels under that old 2001 legal opinion.

Sooo … Is There Any Way Around It?

Two things are worth knowing here, and neither one is a sure thing.

First, lawsuits. Multiple property owner groups have sued the county, arguing Bill 9 amounts to an unconstitutional taking of their property rights. As of now, no court has issued an injunction, so the law stands and the deadlines are running. If you're buying with the assumption that litigation will overturn this, I'd treat that as a long shot, not a plan.

(ps - if you’re looking at a condo that is in litigation, this could also be a problem with financing. Banks generally do not want to finance a property that is in the middle of a lawsuit. So, if getting a loan is necessary in order to purchase a condo, major due diligence is highly recommended.)

Second, rezoning. The county has been developing new Hotel District classifications (H-3 and H-4) that could let some apartment-zoned buildings in core visitor areas convert to true hotel zoning, preserving their rental rights. In July 2026, the Council advanced a proposal covering more than 2,000 apartment-district vacation rentals. It's a real pathway, but it's building by building, not automatic, and it's still working its way through the process. Nothing here changes the law as written unless and until it's formally adopted for a specific property.

What This Means for You

So, if your plan is to buy a STVR (short term vacation rental) condo for rental income, run the math with the real deadline in mind, not the optimistic one. A West Maui unit has a little over two years of rental income left as of this writing; other areas have a bit more runway to 2031. Ask whether the building's ownership group is pursuing the H-3/H-4 rezoning path, and don't assume it will succeed. And think about your exit: will this property work for you as a long-term rental, a personal home or a resale once the short-term income goes away?

If you already own one of these units, now's a good time to talk through your options — selling while STR-eligible units still carry a premium, converting to long-term rental, or holding and watching how the rezoning and legal challenges play out.

Either way, this isn't a "wait and see" situation. The clock is running regardless of how the lawsuits shake out. If you want to talk through what this means for a specific property, reach out — happy to help you think it through.

This post is for general information purposes and isn't legal advice. Ordinances, court rulings, and rezoning decisions can change; always verify current status with Maui County and your own attorney before making a decision.