From the low-rise complexes of Kihei to the resort towers at Kaanapali and Napili, Maui's condominium associations share two traits: salt and sun on every surface, and an owner base where many units have been rented to visitors. A reserve study here has to price the first and take account of the second.
Bill 9 and who owns the units
In December 2025 the Maui County Council passed Bill 9 (2025), which phases out transient vacation rental use of units in apartment-zoned districts on a set timetable. Many of the buildings affected are condominiums. The council's overview explains which districts and dates apply.
A reserve study does not predict who will own the units, but the board should. As units move from vacation rentals to long-term rentals or owner occupancy, some owners will sell and others will feel dues increases more sharply. Two things follow for the reserve plan:
- Ask the provider to show what a steady funding plan looks like, not just the minimum. Smooth increases are easier to collect from a changing owner base than a large jump later.
- Revisit the budget assumptions about delinquencies and resort-related income (front desk, rental program fees) separately from the study. The study prices the building; the board prices the cash flow.
Coastal wear
Leeward Maui is dry and bright, which is kind to roofs in some ways and hard on coatings, sealants and wood in others. Buildings close to the shoreline see railing corrosion, spalling at slab edges and failed window seals sooner than inland ones. A good Maui study sets realistic lives for these components rather than mainland defaults, and says where it has shortened them and why.
After 2023
The August 2023 wildfires destroyed much of Lahaina and changed how insurers look at the island. For associations elsewhere on Maui the lessons for the reserve plan are practical: keep the replacement cost figures current, keep the study and the insurance appraisal in step, and make sure records (the study, plans, the component list) are stored somewhere other than the building's office.
Getting a provider to Maui
Many providers who serve Maui fly in from Oahu or the mainland. That is normal, but it changes two things. The fee may carry travel costs, so ask whether they are included. And site visits get grouped, so ask for a date early if the study needs to be ready for a budget meeting. A desk update between site visits avoids the travel entirely.