Bill 9 carve-outs: hotel rezoning referrals for apartment-district TVRs
Maui County
Summary
Two resolutions would refer bills to the Planning Commission to let apartment-zoned short-term rental properties switch to hotel zoning and keep operating as visitor accommodations instead of returning to long-term housing. Most testifiers called this an unraveling of Bill 9 during a housing crisis; owners of flood- and erosion-exposed buildings pushed to be exempted. The committee adopted criteria 5-4 and put off any decision to September 9.
At a glance
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- Last 30 days
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Last discussed Aug 27, 2026.
Impact analysis
Owners testified buildings like Hale Kai O Kīhei are underinsured by at least $5 million with flood insurance costing roughly $10,000 per unit per year, while critics say hotel zoning locks in visitor revenue instead of housing.
Short-term rental property owners, mostly non-resident investors, would gain the ability to keep and market their units as visitor accommodations.
Local residents competing for a shrinking supply of attainable long-term housing — including Lahaina fire survivors still displaced — would lose potential housing units.
Mentions & discussions (1)
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