By Benjamin Finnerty (S), REALTOR® (RS-83812) with Keller Williams Realty Maui · Kīhei, Maui · 808-481-9748

Quick Answer: Maui County’s November 3, 2026 mayoral election pits incumbent Richard Bissen, who signed Bill 9, against Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, who voted against it. Bill 9 phases out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned condos by January 1, 2029 in West Maui and January 1, 2031 elsewhere. The winner could shape enforcement and hotel-rezoning decisions.

I’m Benjamin Finnerty, a REALTOR® in Kīhei with Keller Williams Realty Maui, and I focus on South Maui condos and the short-term rental rules that drive their value. If you own, or are considering buying, a unit on Maui’s Minatoya List, roughly 7,167 apartment-zoned condo units, about 6,200 of them operating as vacation rentals in recent county and UHERO counts, this race is worth understanding before your next move.

What Is Bill 9, and When Does It Take Effect?

Bill 9 is the ordinance phasing out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned condo buildings. In December 2025, after nearly two years of hearings, amendments and public testimony, the Maui County Council passed it on a 5-3 vote, and Mayor Richard Bissen signed it into law that same day.

The ordinance closes a decades-old zoning workaround that allowed transient vacation rentals in districts zoned for apartments, which were meant, in theory, for long-term residents.

Area	Phase-out date
West Maui (Kaʻanapali, Kahana, Honokowai, Kapalua, Lahaina-area buildings)	January 1, 2029
Everywhere else, including Kīhei, Wailea, Māʻalaea, Hāna and Molokaʻi	January 1, 2031

The stated goal is to convert thousands of units back into long-term housing during a housing shortage that predates, and was worsened by, the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. The Bissen administration’s own analysis estimated roughly $65 million a year in lost real property tax revenue, plus about $50 million in general excise and transient accommodations taxes, which shows how large a share of the local economy these units represent. For more background, see my explainer on how Bill 9 is reshaping Maui’s condo market.

Can Minatoya List Condos Avoid Bill 9 Through Bill 88?

Some may, building by building. In June 2026, the council passed Bill 88 on a 7-2 vote, creating a hotel-zoning pathway that lets individual Minatoya List properties apply to rezone from apartment to hotel use. If approved, they could keep operating as short-term rentals indefinitely.

Roughly 4,500 of the affected units are believed to be eligible to pursue this route, but each building has to go through its own rezoning application and planning commission review rather than getting a blanket exemption.

That process is still in motion. On September 22, 2026, the Maui Planning Commission voted 6-2 to recommend denying hotel-zoning exemptions for 43 of the 48 properties it reviewed, approving just five (about 397 units). The County Council can still override the commission with a two-thirds vote. I cover that vote in detail in what the Planning Commission’s Bill 9 exemption vote means for your condo plans.

Meanwhile, two lawsuits filed in Second Circuit Court in December 2025 by groups of condo owners argue that Bill 9 amounts to an unconstitutional taking of property value without compensation. As of this writing, neither case has produced a ruling. The legal and regulatory landscape is still being written.

How Could the November 2026 Election Affect Maui’s Condo Market?

Mostly through how Bill 9 is implemented. Incumbent Richard Bissen, who introduced and signed Bill 9, is being challenged by Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, one of the three council members who voted against it, along with Council Chair Alice Lee and Council Member Tom Cook.

The two advanced to the November 3 general election after Bissen won the August 8 primary with 46.1% of the vote to Sugimura’s 33.6%, carrying every district. When he signed the bill, Bissen called it “the most immediate way to bring thousands of units back online and expand housing inventory.” Sugimura was one of the council’s most vocal critics of Bill 9, and the ordinance is widely seen as one of the key issues separating the candidates.

Here’s the nuance: a mayor can’t repeal an ordinance alone. Changes to Bill 9 would have to go through the County Council. The more realistic question is posture. A second Bissen term would likely keep Bill 9 on its current track, while a Sugimura administration could bring a different approach to implementation and to the hotel-rezoning requests before the county. Several council seats are also on the ballot this fall, and they matter just as much as the mayor’s office.

What Are Maui Condo Prices Doing Right Now?

Falling, while buyer activity rises. As of August 2026, Maui’s condo median sale price was $564,950, down 13.1% year over year, according to the REALTORS® Association of Maui, while the single-family median fell a smaller 7.9% to $1.2 million.

At the same time, pending condo sales jumped 54.9% year over year, a sign that buyers who had been on the sidelines are starting to see opportunity in the price correction, even with the regulatory picture unresolved.

My Take: What I’m Telling Condo Buyers and Owners

Falling prices, rising pending sales and an undecided policy path add up to a market where the specific building matters far more than the island-wide headline. A Minatoya List condo that looks like a bargain today could look very different depending on whether it qualifies for hotel rezoning, moves into the long-term rental market, or ends up in the middle of litigation.

I don’t try to call elections, and I’d caution anyone against buying or selling purely on a guess about November 3. What I do with clients is map out each scenario for a specific building: its phase-out date, whether it has a rezoning application in front of the county and where that stands, and what the unit is worth as a long-term rental if short-term use ends.

If you own a West Maui unit, 2029 is closer than it sounds, so I’d start that analysis now. If you’re eyeing a South Maui unit that has come down in price, build your offer around the 2031 scenario, not the hope of an exemption.

This is general information, not legal advice. Please confirm your situation with a Hawaiʻi attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Maui mayoral election?

The general election is November 3, 2026, between incumbent Richard Bissen and Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura.

Can the next mayor repeal Bill 9?

Not alone. Changes to Bill 9 would have to go through the Maui County Council. A mayor mainly shapes how the ordinance is implemented.

When do Maui condo short-term rentals end under Bill 9?

January 1, 2029 for West Maui apartment-zoned condos and January 1, 2031 for the rest of the county, unless a property is rezoned for hotel use.

Are the Bill 9 lawsuits still pending?

Yes. Two lawsuits filed in Second Circuit Court in December 2025 argue Bill 9 is an unconstitutional taking. As of this writing, neither has produced a ruling.

Ask Benjamin

Whether you own a West Maui condo and are weighing your options before 2029, are eyeing a South Maui unit that has come down in price, or just want to understand how November’s election might affect a property you already own, I’m happy to walk through what Bill 9, Bill 88 and this election could mean for your situation. I’m Benjamin Finnerty, and you can call or text me at 808-481-9748 or email benjamin@the808team.com. No pressure, just a straight answer about where things stand.