The Maui County Council voted 7-2 to establish two new hotel zoning classifications that could allow up to 4,500 condominiums facing a short-term rental ban to continue operating as vacation rentals. Properties must go through a planning commission review and Council approval to qualify for the new zoning.
- The Council passed Bill 88 on June 19, creating two new hotel zoning categories as a potential exemption route from the STR ban established under Bill 9 in December 2024.
- The STR ban under Bill 9 targets roughly 6,100 condos on Maui and Molokai, taking effect Jan. 1, 2029 in West Maui and Jan. 1, 2031 in South Maui.
- Mayor Bissen supported Bill 88, clarifying it does not automatically reclassify any properties — each rezoning still requires planning commission review and a Council vote.
- Affected properties are all pre-1989 ‘Minatoya List’ condos in apartment zoning districts that were grandfathered for vacation rental use until the upcoming ban.
- The measure passed despite recommendations against it from planning commissions on Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.
Source: Hotel Online
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