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Maui County, HI Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Maui County Code § 19.35.010(D)
Uses banned in an ADU
B&B, short-term rental, transient vacation rental
Related license chapters
Chapters 19.64, 19.65
Separate entrance required
§19.35.030
No interior connection allowed
§19.35.040

Summary

Maui County flatly bars any accessory dwelling from operating as a bed and breakfast home, short-term rental home, or transient vacation rental, closing off the ohana unit as a workaround for county's separately licensed vacation-rental categories.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Maui County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

D.No accessory dwelling shall be used as a bed and breakfast home, short-term rental home, or transient vacation rental.

Full Breakdown

010 opens by stating that the chapter's limitations and requirements apply to any accessory dwelling, layering on top of whatever zoning or State land use district rules otherwise apply to the lot. Subsection B makes accessory dwelling rules prevail over conflicting district rules on unit-count limits, and subsection D then draws a hard line: no accessory dwelling shall be used as a bed and breakfast home, short-term rental home, or transient vacation rental. 65, and the ban means an owner cannot convert a permitted second unit built under the accessory dwelling density allowance into one of those short-term visitor uses instead.

040, all of which reinforce that an accessory dwelling is meant to function as long-term housing stock rather than a transient rental unit on the property.

Violations & Fines

Operating an accessory dwelling as a bed and breakfast, short-term rental, or transient vacation rental violates section 19.35.010(D) directly; because the code separately licenses those three uses under chapters 19.64 and 19.65 and neither license covers a unit built and permitted as an accessory dwelling, an owner cannot cure the violation by obtaining a short-term rental permit for that unit. The building permit issued for the accessory dwelling is conditioned on compliance with chapter 19.35's limitations, including this restriction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rent out my Maui County ohana unit as an Airbnb?
No. Section 19.35.010(D) states that no accessory dwelling shall be used as a bed and breakfast home, short-term rental home, or transient vacation rental, so an accessory dwelling cannot be converted into any of those licensed short-term visitor uses.
Does getting a short-term rental permit override the accessory dwelling restriction?
No. The short-term rental and bed and breakfast permits issued under chapters 19.65 and 19.64 apply to units approved for those uses; a unit that was permitted as an accessory dwelling under chapter 19.35 remains barred from that use by section 19.35.010(D) regardless of any separate license.
What can an accessory dwelling legally be used for on Maui?
Chapter 19.35 treats it as long-term housing: it must have a separate entrance under section 19.35.030, no interior connection to the main house under section 19.35.040, and cannot be used as a bed and breakfast, short-term rental, or transient vacation rental under section 19.35.010(D).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Maui County

All Maui County rules

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