Homes and Short Term Vacation Rentals in Maui County

How can you tell if the vacation rental listing of a Home is a scam or a legal rental?

Updated 2.22.22

I often get calls from people planning their vacation here on Maui and considering a home instead of a condo or hotel. The calls sometimes come when it just seems too good to be true; at other times, it's after they've paid deposits and can't reach their contact; and some come after they google the address and see the home is listed for sale.  Unfortunately, in almost all of these cases, the property is not a legal vacation rental.  Photos are simply taken from websites and used in online ads in a rental scam. 

It breaks my heart to hear these stories--sometimes they call before they've

Frequently Asked Questions: What is the difference between Leasehold and Fee Simple Ownership in Hawaii

Alaeloa: a rare gem, oceanfront and ocean view cottages in Napili, Maui

Why is there leasehold property? The History of Leasehold Property in West Maui:

With the development of the Kaanapali Resort in 1961 and later the Kapalua Resort in 1978, Maui became a vacation destination. As tourism flourished and became the mainstay of our economy, local landowners partnered with developers to build Leasehold condominiums on family-owned properties or on former agricultural land.  In West Maui, many local landowners saw this as a way to retain ownership of their land and derive income from the lease rents.  Leases were typically set for 99 years,

Maui Property Tax Rates Announced for 2017-2018 Fiscal Year

Per the Maui News article on June 5, 2017, the Maui County Council approved the new property tax rates for the July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018 Fiscal Year.

Maui County Property Tax Rates 2017 to 2018

The figures below show the rates for each year.  Traditionally, the lowest tax rate is for Homeowner, where this is their declared primary residence.  The highest tax rate remains the Time Share Classification.  The figures below are the Rate($)/Million of Assessed Value.

Change in tax rates by classification over 2016-2017 fiscal year:

Taxes increased across all categories from last year to this year, with the larges increase in those properties classified for use as Industrial,

MAUI VACATION RENTAL (TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS) FAQs

This post has been updated as of June, 2022:  Read the Updated Post on Maui Vacation Rentals and Short Term Rentals

As a realtor here on Maui, working primarily in resort areas, the most frequently asked questions I encounter are "can I vacation rent this property when I'm not using it?" and, if so, "can I manage the property myself on a website like VRBO or AirBnB?".  

The answer is, it depends. It isn't always straightforward, as there are several factors to consider that may govern the use of the property as a short term Transient Vacation Rental (TVR), including, but not limited to, state laws and statutes, Maui county zoning rules and regulations, and CC&R's (Declaration of Covenants,

Maui Real Estate Market Overview and Buyer Statistics 2016

Many Buyers and Sellers want to know where buyers of Maui County real estate call home (in this case, their legal residence).  There is often a misperception that the majority of our foreign buyers come from Asia.  While this might be true for Oahu's market (particularly Honolulu), it hasn't been the case for Maui County, which includes the islands of Molokai and Lanai.  Each year, Title Guaranty, one of Hawaii's most reputable Title and Escrow Companies, provides us with Buyer statistics.  

MAUI BUYER STATISTICS: TOP FOREIGN AND US BUYERS

As you can see, the bulk of purchases in 2016, made by foreign buyers of Maui real estate continue to be Canadian, with 59 transactions totaling

Maui County Vacation Rentals

Many prospective buyers of Maui real estate as a second home or residence often will ask about Short Term Rentals. After all, Maui is an idyllic spot and while most owners would like to spend all of their time here, obligations at home often limit their use of the property.

WHAT IS A SHORT TERM OR VACATION RENTAL?*

Maui County defines short term or what are commonly known as "vacation" rentals as anything less than 180 days, with rentals under 180 days allowed on properties located within what is defined as the Hotel District.

Many condominiums and subdivisions zoned in the Apartment, Agricultural or Residential districts, had rules and guidelines allowing short term rentals in their governing CC&R's