Wailea Ekolu is a 148-unit condo property in Wailea on Maui’s south shore. It’s on Maui County’s list of apartment-zoned properties allowed to do vacation rentals, so Bill 9 ends nightly rentals there on January 1, 2031 unless the property is rezoned into a hotel district. The Planning Commission has recommended against that rezoning.
Wailea Ekolu: Bill 9 status
Wailea, Maui · 148 units on the county list
Recommended against rezoning- Vacation rental deadlineJanuary 1, 2031, unless the property is rezoned to a hotel district
- Hotel rezoningReferred for H-3/H-4 hotel zoning under Resolution 26-111 (properties operating like hotels), adopted by the Council July 24, 2026.
- Planning CommissionRecommended denial of hotel zoning on Sept. 22, 2026 (6-2 vote; 43 of 48 properties denied).
- County CouncilBack to Council for final vote; overriding the denial recommendation takes 6 of 9 votes.
- AlsoOnly a portion of the parcel is in the rezoning bill.
Last checked October 28, 2026. Confirm a specific unit's zoning with the County of Maui Department of Planning.
Where the rezoning stands
In July 2026 the County Council included Wailea Ekolu in Resolution 26-111, a batch of properties that operate like hotels, and sent it to the Maui Planning Commission for possible H-3 or H-4 hotel zoning.
On Sept. 22, 2026, the commission recommended against hotel zoning for 43 of the 48 properties in front of it, including Wailea Ekolu. The decision now goes back to the Council. To approve the rezoning against the commission’s recommendation, the Council needs six of its nine votes. Until that happens, plan around the 2031 deadline.
What it means if you own a unit here
- If the property is rezoned to hotel: nightly rentals can continue under the hotel district rules, and the Bill 9 deadline no longer applies.
- If it isn’t: nightly rentals have to stop by January 1, 2031. After that you can live in the unit, rent it long-term (30 days or more) or sell it.
- Either way: run the long-term rental numbers now. If rent won’t cover the mortgage, HOA dues, insurance and property tax, that’s the decision you’re really facing, and it’s better to know before the deadline than after.
Buyers know about Bill 9 too. If you’re thinking about selling, it helps to know who’s buying at Wailea Ekolu now and what they’re paying.
See the status of other buildings on our Maui Bill 9 building tracker, or read the full Bill 9 explainer.
Sources
- Apartment district properties allowed to be used for short-term occupancy, County of Maui list dated April 27, 2022 (copy hosted by mauirealestate.com)
- Maui Council passes Bill 9, 5-3, on second and final reading, Maui Now, Dec. 15, 2025
- New hotel zoning for vacation rentals passes Maui Council on final vote, 7-2, Maui Now, June 22, 2026
- Maui’s first STR rezoning wave: Resolutions 26-110 and 26-111, Sell Your Maui Property, July 2026
- Maui Planning Commission rebuffs exemptions to vacation rental ban, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Sept. 23, 2026
- Hotel or housing battle drags on, Maui Now, Sept. 29, 2026
General information as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Zoning decisions and court cases are ongoing. Confirm the status of a specific unit with the County of Maui Department of Planning and your own attorney.