The Maui Planning Commission recommended denial of hotel rezoning for most of the 3,402 apartment-zoned units seeking exemption from Maui’s upcoming short-term rental ban. Only a handful of properties — primarily full timeshares or those with existing variances — received favorable recommendations.
- The Maui Planning Commission largely rejected proposals to rezone roughly 3,400 STR units as hotel districts, approving only a small number of fully timeshare or variance-protected properties.
- Bill 9, already signed into law, bans short-term rentals in apartment-zoned districts by Dec. 31, 2028 for West Maui and Dec. 31, 2030 for the rest of the county.
- Opponents of rezoning argue that amenities like pools and front desks are not sufficient grounds for permanent hotel zoning status.
- The county passed Bill 88 in June to create new hotel zoning categories for properties with a history of legal vacation rental operation, but that pathway is now facing resistance.
- Property owners like Maui Sunset in Kīhei, which has operated as visitor lodging since the 1970s, are arguing their long-standing use should qualify them for hotel zoning and protect them from the ban.
Source: Maui Now
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