Short-Term Rentals Decisions in Maui County
How short-term rentals requests are decided across Maui County, HI council meetings, the vote and the conditions on the record
Short-Term Rentals is one of the most actively tracked zoning topics in Maui County, HI. ZoneWire has analyzed 9 council meetings and detected 24 instances of short-term rentals activity. Below are the most recent discussions.
What is Short-Term Rental (STR)?
A dwelling rented for stays shorter than 30 days (Airbnb, Vrbo). Regulated through zoning permits, caps, and owner-occupancy rules that change frequently.
A short-term rental (STR) is a residential property rented out for brief stays - typically under 30 consecutive days - through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Unlike long-term rentals, STRs are treated by many zoning codes as a distinct land use, closer to lodging than to housing, which is why they attract dedicated ordinances.
Read full definitionShort-Term Rentals in Maui County, HI
A dwelling rented for stays shorter than 30 days (Airbnb, Vrbo). Regulated through zoning permits, caps, and owner-occupancy rules that change frequently. In Maui County, HI, local government bodies regularly discuss short-term rentals as part of zoning and land use decisions.
ZoneWire has analyzed 9 meetings in Maui County and detected 24 mentions of short-term rentals, an average of 2.7 mentions per meeting.
No material zoning changes in Maui County in the last 30 days. We monitor every Maui County, HI meeting and surface new opportunities here as they happen.
The rules, as adopted
Verified 2026-07-21 from official sourcesMaui County prohibits transient vacation rentals in all zoning districts except where zoning allows them (chiefly hotel districts); everyone else needs a Short-Term Rental Home permit (capped by community plan area), a B&B Home permit, or a conditional permit. Ordinance 5909, signed December 15, 2025, phases out the historic apartment-district ("Minatoya") allowance: TVR use must cease by January 1, 2029 in West Maui and January 1, 2031 countywide, affecting roughly 6,200 actively operating units. Illegal operation carries a $20,000 initial fine plus $10,000 per day.
Is a permit required for a short-term rental on Maui?
Yes, unless the property’s zoning already allows transient rental use (chiefly hotel districts). Otherwise operators need one of three permits: a Short-Term Rental Home permit (MCC ch. 19.65), a Bed & Breakfast Home permit (ch. 19.64), or a conditional permit (ch. 19.40). TVRs are otherwise prohibited in every zoning district.
MCC §§ 19.37.010, 19.40, 19.64, 19.65 (as amended by Ord. 5909)
What is happening to apartment-district (Minatoya) vacation rentals?
Ordinance 5909 (Bill 9), passed 5–3 on final reading and signed December 15, 2025, repeals the apartment-district TVR exception. Existing TVR use in apartment districts must cease by January 1, 2029 in the West Maui community plan area and January 1, 2031 everywhere else in the county. Validly existing time-share units and variance-permitted uses are exempt; owners must be formally noticed by March 1, 2026.
MCC § 19.12.070 (added by Ord. 5909); repealed § 19.12.020.G
Are short-term rental permits capped?
Yes — STRH permits are capped per community plan area (MCC 19.65.030.R, Ord. 4995), and the county’s current approved-permits list shows the operative regional limits: West Maui 50, Paia-Haiku 48, Kihei-Makena 46, Hana 15, Makawao-Pukalani-Kula 15, Lanai 15, Kahului-Wailuku 6 — and no STRH permits at all on Molokai.
MCC § 19.65.030.R
What do permits cost and how are they renewed?
Fee amounts are set in the annual county budget ordinance rather than the zoning code; the initial fee covers processing plus one year of operation, with an extra fee if a public hearing is triggered. Renewals run up to five-year terms on Maui and Lanai (one year on Molokai), must be filed at least 90 days before expiration, and the county sends no reminder.
MCC § 19.65.070(A)
What are the occupancy and parking rules?
STRH use is capped at six bedrooms per lot on Maui and Lanai (three on Molokai), with total guests at any one time limited to twice the number of bedrooms. All guest vehicles must park in designated onsite stalls (minimum 8.5×18 feet) — never on the street.
MCC § 19.65.030.K, .Q.3; § 19.36A.010
What taxes apply?
Operators owe the 10.25% state Transient Accommodations Tax plus the 3% Maui County TAT surcharge on the same base (paid separately to the county), and must hold current state TAT and General Excise Tax licenses as a permit condition.
MCC § 19.65.030.C; Ord. 5273; HRS ch. 237D
What are the fines for illegal vacation rentals?
Maui’s voter-approved charter amendment authorizes an initial civil fine of $20,000 plus $10,000 per day for operating a B&B, short-term rental home, or TVR in violation of zoning or permit conditions — among the steepest STR penalties in the country.
MCC § 19.530.030
Not specified in the sources we verified
- Exact current dollar amounts of STRH application and renewal fees (set in the annual budget ordinance; the current fee schedule was not on fetched pages)
- Numeric off-street parking counts per bedroom under MCC 19.36A.010 (section not fetchable; stall size and onsite-only rule confirmed)
- Status of any litigation challenging the Ordinance 5909 phase-out (not addressed on official county pages)
Confirm these directly with Maui County planning before relying on them.
Rules change at public hearings first — ZoneWire tracks every council discussion of this topic below.
Summary of adopted regulations; not legal advice. Verify current rules with the planning department.
Recent Short-Term Rentals meetings in Maui County
Why Track Short-Term Rentals?
STR rules vary more between neighboring jurisdictions than almost any other land-use topic. The common regulatory levers:
Short-Term Rentals Regulations in Hawaii
Hawaii sets the regulatory framework that governs how short-term rentals decisions are made at the county and municipal level. State statutes define zoning authority, hearing requirements, and appeal processes that directly affect short-term rentals outcomes in Maui County.
View all Hawaii zoning activityEvery Short-Term Rentals decision in Maui County
See how every short-term rentals request in Maui County was decided: the vote, the conditions attached, and how it moved through its hearings.
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Short-Term Rentals in Other Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
A short-term rental (STR) is a residential property rented out for brief stays - typically under 30 consecutive days - through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. Unlike long-term rentals, STRs are treated by many zoning codes as a distinct land use, closer to lodging than to housing, which is why they attract dedicated ordinances. ZoneWire tracks short-term rentals activity across Maui County, HI public meetings.
ZoneWire monitors Maui County, HI planning and council meetings, transcribes them, and flags short-term rentals activity. As of the latest update we have analyzed 9 meetings and detected 24 short-term rentals mentions.
Tracking short-term rentals in Maui County surfaces zoning and development signals early, so developers, investors, and brokers can evaluate parcels and approvals before they reach the broader market.
Maui County Council, the Maui Planning Commission, and the Board of Variances and Appeals are monitored by ZoneWire for SMA (Special Management Area) permits, community plan amendments, change in zoning applications, conditional permits, and shoreline setback approvals across Maui County.
Maui County has approximately 7 zoning-related meetings per month across the County Council, the Maui Planning Commission, and the Board of Variances and Appeals. The Planning Commission meets twice per month, while the County Council meets biweekly.
An SMA (Special Management Area) permit in Maui County is required for development within the coastal zone, which covers a significant portion of the island. SMA permits are reviewed by the Maui Planning Commission and are a critical signal for tourism, residential, and commercial development near shoreline areas.
The highest volume of zoning activity in Maui County occurs in the West Maui resort corridor around Kaanapali and Lahaina for tourism development and rebuilding, the South Maui Kihei-Wailea area for residential and resort expansion, and the Central Maui Kahului area for mixed-use and affordable housing projects in the agricultural district.
Key zoning terms for Maui County include SMA (Special Management Area) permit, community plan amendment, change in zoning, conditional permit, shoreline setback, agricultural district, project district, and bed and breakfast permit. ZoneWire tracks all of these automatically across every Maui County governing body.
Yes. ZoneWire Free sends New Meeting Alerts for Maui County at no cost, with the agenda for each meeting. ZoneWire Pro adds full transcripts, zoning and development analysis, and keyword alerts for $129 per market per month.
Know how short-term rentals requests get decided in Maui County, HI
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What gets approved in Maui County
In Maui County, 79% of land-use board decisions were approved over the last 24 months. Single-family homes clear 60%, Multifamily / attached housing 88%. ZoneWire analyzed 38 land-use board decisions in Maui County over the last 24 months. Here are the most active project types and how often each one clears.
| Project type | Decisions | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family homes | 10 | 60% |
| Multifamily / attached housing | 8 | 88% |
| Commercial / office / retail | 8 | 88% |
2 decisions that went against the odds
These are the denials and deferrals in categories that usually sail through, the deals worth understanding before you commit capital.
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