Maui Bill 9: what 2026 renewals actually look like
Bill 9 passed in 2024 — the 2026 renewal cycle is where the rubber meets the road. Apartment-district owners face a different process than resort-zone holders. Here's the playbook.
When Bill 9 cleared Maui Council in 2024, the immediate effect was symbolic: a moratorium on new short-term rental permits in many districts. The renewal cycle for existing permits is where the real legal complexity lives — and 2026 is the first full cycle under the new code.
Who's affected, in plain English
Three buckets of Maui STR holders face very different 2026 renewals:
- Resort-zone TVR holders (Kaʻanapali, Wailea, Mākena resort districts) — renewal is largely procedural. File the cert, pay the fee, attest to compliance. Bill 9 didn't change much for you.
- Apartment-district STRH holders (the "Minatoya list" — many Kīhei + Lāhainā condos) — renewal is contested. The county is enforcing stricter compliance audits, requiring updated proof of insurance + smoke / CO certs + an attestation that the unit isn't functioning as a long-term affordable unit.
- Non-conforming SF / B&B Home permit holders — renewal hinges on owner-occupancy proof. If you can't document that the property is your primary residence at least part-year, your B&B Home registration may not renew.
What to file before May 2026
Maui County Planning Department has signaled that the bulk of 2026 renewals will be reviewed Q2-Q3. To stay ahead:
- Smoke + CO detector recertification (annual; Maui County Code §19.65.030.B.4)
- Updated liability COI (most underwriters want ≥$1M GL)
- If you have an HOA — written non-objection letter from your association (new requirement)
- Posting / advertising compliance check (permit # in every ad, cert posted inside unit, 24/7 contact)
PermitPaddler auto-tracks every one of those — see the Maui rule sheet or pull a per-property audit summaryif you've signed up.
What happens if your permit doesn't renew
Maui's enforcement playbook (per the 2024 Mayor's order) is graduated:
- First infraction — written warning, 30-day cure window.
- Second — citation + $1,000 fine.
- Third — daily fines accruing + referral to the Land Use Commission for cease-and-desist.
And if the permit lapses entirely, the unit can't be re-listed for short-term rental until it's re-permitted — which under Bill 9, in many districts, isn't happening at all.
The pragmatic advice
File renewal docs early. Don't wait for the 60-day notice. The 2026 cycle is overloaded, and a missing smoke-detector cert that takes 4 days to acquire in November may take 6 weeks in May. Read the full statute breakdown for citations.