Maui’s Bill 9 and Hawaii Island Rental Rules

Kai Ioh | Originally published December 2025. Source review updated September 26, 2026.

Maui’s Bill 9 concerns vacation rentals in Maui County apartment districts. It does not create a Hawaii Island rental ban. Buyers and owners must check the county, zoning, approvals, and governing documents for their particular property before relying on rental income.

What Maui County enacted

Mayor Richard Bissen signed Bill 9 on December 15, 2025. The County’s signing announcement describes a phaseout of transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts, often called Minatoya-list properties. It presents the measure as part of the County’s response to housing availability after the Maui wildfires.

The Council’s final-reading announcement identifies phaseout years of 2029 in West Maui and 2031 elsewhere in Maui County. Those are the enacted framework described in the December 2025 announcements, not a statement that every apartment rental already had to stop operating when the bill was signed.

A zoning pathway is not a property approval

The signing announcement discusses owners seeking rezoning and proposed H-3/H-4 hotel districts. A proposal or a list of properties recommended for rezoning is not an approval for an individual unit. Request the current zoning and written permit history from Maui County, and have a qualified adviser check later amendments or court orders before making a transaction decision.

The County also says Bill 9 does not end all visitor accommodation in Maui County. That does not establish the rental rights of any particular condo, hotel, or association. Read the parcel’s rules and association restrictions together.

Hawaii Island has a separate registration system

Hawaii County’s September 7, 2026 registration announcement states that its online Transient Vacation Rental registration platform is live. It describes registration for accommodation rented to transients for fewer than 180 consecutive days, whether hosted or unhosted. See the County Code and Ordinance 25-50 for the separate Hawaii County framework.

Registering an operation and establishing that the use is permitted are separate checks. A Hawaii County registration does not grant Maui County rights, and Maui’s phaseout dates do not determine a Big Island property’s status.

Documents to request before relying on rental income

• The property’s Tax Map Key and current county zoning record.
• Permit, registration, and any nonconforming-use documentation for the actual unit.
• Association declarations, house rules, rental minimums, and relevant amendments.
• Current tax classification, insurance terms, and written confirmation of the proposed use.
• A review of what can continue or transfer after a sale, including any pending enforcement or approval conditions.

Ask the county and your advisers to resolve discrepancies before removing purchase contingencies. Do not treat an existing rental advertisement or an earlier owner’s income statement as proof of future eligibility.

What this means for a Big Island purchase

Housing needs, tourism, local work, and ownership costs are connected, but another jurisdiction’s experience does not establish a price forecast or guaranteed income here. Build a property-specific budget and compare the outcome if rental use changes or is unavailable.

KE Team Hawaii can help organize property documents and questions for the county, association, and your legal or tax advisers. Discuss your Big Island property search or begin with the buyer’s guide. This article is a reading guide to the cited county materials, not a legal determination for a property.