Can You Still Book a Maui Condo? Bill 9 Explained for Travelers (2026)

If you are planning a Maui vacation for 2027, 2028, or later, you may have come across news about Maui Bill 9 vacation rentals. Some headlines make it sound as if Maui is banning vacation rentals or that travelers will soon be unable to book condos on the island.

But that is not quite what is happening.

Bill 9 does affect thousands of Maui vacation rental units, but it does not ban every condo or short-term rental on Maui. The law mainly affects certain vacation rentals located in areas zoned for apartments rather than hotels.

For travelers, the important questions are: Which properties are affected? When do the changes begin? And can you still safely book a Maui condo for an upcoming trip?

Here is a simple breakdown of what Bill 9 means for visitors.

What Maui Bill 9 Vacation Rentals Rules Mean

Bill 9 became law in December 2025 and is now known as Ordinance 5909.

The law mainly changes the rules for short-term vacation rentals in certain apartment-zoned areas. In simple terms, zoning tells property owners how a property can be used. Some areas are mainly intended for people who live there, while other areas are intended for hotels, resorts, and short-term visitor stays.

For many years, some older condo properties in Maui’s apartment districts were allowed to continue operating as vacation rentals under earlier county rules. These properties are often linked with what is known as the Minatoya List.

Bill 9 ends that old vacation-rental allowance after a set period.

Maui County says the purpose of the change is to return more apartment-zoned units to long-term residential use and increase housing availability for local residents. But Bill 9 is not a complete Maui vacation rental ban.

Hotels, timeshares, permitted vacation rentals, and many other properties that are legally approved for short-term visitor stays can continue operating. Maui County has also said that thousands of legal visitor accommodations will remain available after Bill 9.

What are the New H-3 and H-4 Rules?

Maui County created new H-3 and H-4 hotel zoning categories in June 2026. Some properties affected by Bill 9 may be able to apply for a zoning change that would allow short-term vacation rentals to continue.

However, this is not automatic. A property has to go through the required approval process. Some properties may receive approval, while others may not. For travelers, that means the future rental status of some condo buildings will need to be checked property by property.

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Which Rentals Are Affected and When?

Bill 9 mainly affects short-term vacation rentals in Maui’s A-1 and A-2 apartment districts that had previously been allowed to operate under older rules.

So when you see estimates of around 6,200 or more affected rentals, those numbers refer to individual units, not thousands of separate condo buildings.

Bill 9 does not stop those rentals all at once. The date depends on where the property is located.

Bill 9 Timeline for Travelers

These dates come directly from Ordinance 5909.  For example,

Imagine you find a West Maui condo affected by Bill 9. A stay in August 2028 may still be possible. If you want to book that same condo for February 2029, however, you would need to confirm that it is still legally approved to offer vacation rentals after January 1, 2029.

So if you are looking for Maui condo rentals for 2027 or 2028, do not assume that Maui Bill 9 means you cannot book a condo. Travelers can still compare condos, homes, villas, and other accommodations through Maui vacation rentals.

What is Not Affected by Bill 9?

Bill 9 does not apply to every vacation rental or visitor accommodation on Maui. Its main purpose is to phase out certain short-term vacation rentals that have been operating in A-1 and A-2 apartment-zoned areas.

Several other types of accommodations can continue operating under separate Maui County rules.

• Hotel-zoned Properties: Condos, resorts, and other visitor accommodations in approved hotel districts are not part of Bill 9’s apartment-district phase-out. Short-term stays can continue where they are legally permitted.
• Timeshares: Valid existing timeshare properties are specifically exempt from the Bill 9 phase-out.
• Permitted B&Bs and Short-Term Rental Homes: Bed-and-breakfast homes and Short-Term Rental Homes (STRHs) with valid Maui County permits continue to operate under their own permit rules.
• Other Legally Permitted Vacation Rentals: Some properties outside hotel districts may have a conditional permit or another legal approval that allows short-term rental use. Bill 9 does not automatically remove these approvals.
• Long-Term Residential Rentals: Bill 9 is aimed at short-term vacation rental use, not homes being used for long-term residential housing. However, travelers should not assume that a stay of 30 days automatically counts as a long-term rental. Maui County generally defines a transient vacation rental as a rental for less than 180 days.

The key point is that Bill 9 is not a ban on every Maui condo or vacation rental. Whether a property is affected depends mainly on its zoning, permits, and legal rental status.

For travelers interested in West Maui, HBR’s Kaanapali condo rentals provide another useful place to compare accommodations. In South Maui, travelers can also explore Wailea villas and vacation homes.

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Is It Safe to Book a Maui Condo for 2027-2028?

Yes, it is safe to book a Maui condo for 2027–2028, but you must verify the property’s specific zoning before paying a deposit. 

The ordinance specifically allows affected West Maui transient vacation rental uses to continue during the amortization period ending December 31, 2028. Elsewhere in Maui County, that period continues until December 31, 2030.

That does not mean every listing you find online should automatically be considered legal or risk-free. A property’s individual status still matters. For a 2027 or 2028 stay, ask whether the property is legally authorized to operate as a short-term rental for the dates you intend to stay.

For stays beginning in 2029, that question becomes especially important in West Maui. An apartment-zoned property affected by Bill 9 could face the January 1, 2029 deadline unless it has another lawful basis to continue operating, for example, through qualifying hotel zoning or another exemption.

Travelers planning farther ahead should therefore pay more attention to the legal status of the specific property, rather than making assumptions about an entire neighborhood.

Also review the property’s cancellation and refund terms before paying for a future reservation. Regulations can evolve, and Maui’s implementation of Bill 9 and the newer H-3/H-4 zoning framework is still developing.

How to Check Whether a Maui Vacation Rental is Legal?

You do not need to become a Maui zoning expert before booking. A few sensible checks can remove much of the uncertainty:

• Property’s Legal Rental Status: Find out whether it is hotel-zoned, holds an applicable short-term rental authorization, is a qualifying timeshare, or operates under another permitted use. If the property is apartment-zoned, ask whether Bill 9 applies and whether any rezoning process is underway.
• Check Official Maui County Information: The County Planning Department publishes short-term rental information and permitted-rental resources.
• Do not Rely Only on the Booking-Platform Description: Terms such as “resort condo” or “vacation villa” describe the accommodation but do not necessarily tell you its official zoning.
• Review Cancellation Terms before Booking: If your trip is close to one of the phase-out dates, understand what happens if the property’s legal status changes before arrival.
• Match the Legal Status to your Travel Date: This is especially important near the Bill 9 deadlines. A West Maui condo that can legally accept guests in November 2028 may have a different status in February 2029. Always ask about your specific stay dates, not just whether the property is legal today.

Wrapping Up

The main thing to understand about Maui Bill 9 vacation rentals is that the law does not ban every vacation rental on Maui. It mainly affects certain apartment-zoned properties, while many hotel-zoned condos, timeshares, permitted rentals, and other legal accommodations can continue operating.

For travelers planning a trip in 2027, 2028, or later, there is no need to avoid Maui condos altogether. The best approach is to check the legal status of the specific property, confirm it can accept guests for your travel dates, and review the cancellation terms before booking.

Maui will continue to offer plenty of legal vacation rental options, but checking the property carefully will become more important as the 2029 and 2031 deadlines get closer.