Short-term rental rules · Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii
Short-term rentals in Honolulu (Oahu), explained properly.
Short-term rentals on Oahu are legal only in a handful of narrow categories: resort-zoned properties, a few specific apartment-zoned areas listed in Ordinance 25-52 (Waikiki apartment precinct mauka of Kuhio Avenue, near Ko Olina, near Turtle Bay, and next to Hoakalei Resort in Ewa Beach) that register with the city, properties holding a pre-1986 Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC), and hotel/timeshare units. The city code now sets a 90-consecutive-day minimum everywhere else, but a 2023 federal court injunction protects pre-existing 30-89 day rentals and the city's planning department says it continues to enforce the minimum as 30 consecutive days across the board. Combined state and county lodging and excise taxes come to about 18.5% of gross rental income on Oahu, and advertising violations carry fines of up to $5,000 plus up to $10,000 per day.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Four narrow legal categories for STRs | Short-term rentals are lawful on Oahu only as: (1) registered units in resort-zoned areas (e.g. Waikiki, Ko Olina, Turtle Bay resort districts); (2) registered units in four specific apartment-zoned areas listed in Ordinance 25-52: the Waikiki Special District apartment precinct mauka of Kuhio Avenue, A-1/A-2 lots near Ko Olina Resort, A-1 lots near Turtle Bay Resort, and A-2 lots next to Hoakalei Resort and Lagoon (Ewa Beach); (3) properties holding a Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC) grandfathered from before October 22, 1986, with no new NUCs issued; and (4) hotel and timeshare units defined under the Land Use Ordinance, which do not need STR registration [1] [2] |
| 30-day minimum stay outside legal categories | Outside the legal STR categories, the Department of Planning and Permitting enforces the minimum rental period as 30 consecutive days across the board, and its FAQ tells unregistered properties to state 'this property may not be rented for less than 30 consecutive days' in advertising. Note that the ordinance text itself (Ordinance 25-52) prescribes a 90-day version of this statement; see the 90-day entry below [1] [3] |
| 90-day minimum on the books but not enforced | Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41, approved April 26, 2022, effective October 23, 2022) raised the minimum rental period outside legal STR areas from 30 to 90 consecutive days. On December 21, 2023 the U.S. District Court for Hawaii permanently enjoined the city from enforcing it, or the advertising rules, against 30-89 day rentals that were lawfully operating before October 23, 2022, finding it violated the nonconforming-use protection in HRS § 46-4(a). Ordinance 25-52 (Bill 62 (2025), approved November 5, 2025) restated the 90-day language, but the planning department's STR page says it continues to enforce the minimum as 30 consecutive days across the board [4] [5] [2] [3] |
| Roughly 793 Nonconforming Use Certificates exist | Approximately 793 properties hold Nonconforming Use Certificates island-wide (secondary-source figure); new NUCs are not issued, so this is a fixed and shrinking pool of legacy permits. Renewal is limited to holders of a valid NUC as of August 1, 2019, and each year the holder must show a valid state tax license and at least 35 days of stays under 30 days apiece, or the NUC lapses [6] [7]Confirming |
| Annual registration renewal required | Resort-zoned STR registration is valid for one year and must be renewed no later than one month prior to expiration; NUC renewals run on a separate annual window from September 1 through October 15 [1] |
| Registration/NUC number and TMK must be displayed in ads | Registered STRs and NUC holders must display their registration license or NUC number and the property's tax map key (TMK) in all advertising [1] |
| Registration fees: $1,000 initial, $500 annual renewal | Initial STR registration fee is $1,000 and the annual renewal fee is $500 (Ordinance 24-14); a written zoning verification costs a separate $300. Operators must carry at least $1,000,000 per occurrence in commercial general liability insurance, or homeowner's insurance with business liability coverage [8] [1] [6] |
| Combined tax burden: about 18.5% on Oahu | Combined taxes on Oahu short-term rental income come to about 18.5% of gross rental income: the state Transient Accommodations Tax (11%, up from 10.25% effective January 1, 2026), the separate 3% Oahu Transient Accommodations Tax (OTAT) paid to the City and County of Honolulu, and the General Excise Tax at 4.5% on Oahu (4% state rate plus a 0.5% City and County of Honolulu surcharge in effect through December 31, 2030) [9] [10] [11] |
| Separate STR property tax classification | Properties in the Transient Vacation property tax class are taxed at a distinct rate: $9.00 per $1,000 of net taxable value on the first $800,000, and $11.50 per $1,000 above $800,000 (tax year July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026; Bed and Breakfast Home class $6.50). Rates for the tax year starting July 1, 2026 are not yet confirmed here [12] [6] |
| Fines up to $10,000/day for continuing violations | Civil fines for illegal short-term rental advertising can reach $5,000 initially and up to $10,000 for each day the advertisement stays on public display; other violations likewise carry up to $5,000 initially and up to $10,000 per day. These amounts date from Ordinance 22-7 (2022) and were carried forward in Ordinance 25-52 (Bill 62 (2025), approved November 5, 2025) [2] [4] [6] |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Eligibility & zoning
| Each eligible unit registered separately | In a resort-zoned building with multiple eligible units, each unit must be registered for short-term rental use separately — registration is not automatically shared across a building or complex [1] |
|---|
Licensing & application
| No deadline for initial registration | There is no cutoff deadline for initial resort-zone STR registration; the registration system became available starting October 24, 2022, and eligible properties may register at any time [1] |
|---|
Taxes & fees
| State Transient Accommodations Tax increased January 2026 | The Hawaii state Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) rate applicable to short-term rentals increased from 10.25% to 11% effective January 1, 2026, under Act 96, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025 (the 'Green Fee' law). This is separate from the 3% Oahu county TAT [9] [6] |
|---|
Enforcement & complaints
| Complaints filed through DPP's Request for Investigation portal | Complaints about suspected illegal short-term rentals can be filed online through the Department of Planning and Permitting's Request for Investigation portal, or by contacting the STR Enforcement Branch directly [1] |
|---|
Changes
Recent and pending changes
We checked the Department of Planning and Permitting's Short-Term Rentals page (updated July 30, 2026) and STR FAQ (updated June 22, 2026), the text of Ordinances 22-7, 24-14 and 25-52, the December 21, 2023 federal court order in Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance v. City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Department of Taxation TAT and GET guidance, the city's OTAT FAQ and FY2026 real property tax rates, and Act 17 (SB 2919, 2024). The key tension to watch: the code text says 90 days (restated by Ordinance 25-52 in November 2025) while DPP says it enforces 30 days across the board, and Act 17 now lets counties amortize or phase out transient accommodations in residential and agricultural zones. Any DPP change to its 30-day enforcement statement, any new council bill using Act 17 phase-out authority, or new litigation would be a high-impact change for this market. No appeal ruling on the 2023 injunction was found. Ordinance 25-2 (Bill 64, the Land Use Ordinance update, effective September 30, 2025) is cited by DPP but its text could not be loaded in this pass.
Honolulu adopted Ordinance 25-52 (Bill 62 (2025), CD1), amending bed and breakfast home and transient vacation unit standards. It lists the four apartment-zoned areas where registered STRs are allowed outside resort districts (adding A-2 lots contiguous to Hoakalei Resort and Lagoon), restates the 90-consecutive-day advertising rule and fines of up to $5,000 plus up to $10,000 per day, and took effect on approval. DPP says it continues to enforce the minimum as 30 consecutive days.
Act 96, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, raised the state TAT from 10.25% to 11% on January 1, 2026. The 3% Oahu county TAT and 4.5% Oahu GET are unchanged.
Signed May 3, 2024, Act 17 amended HRS § 46-4 so that transient accommodations uses may be amortized or phased out in residential or agricultural zoned areas, and residential uses do not include transient accommodations. This narrows the nonconforming-use protection the 2023 federal court relied on; Honolulu has not yet used it to phase out existing 30-89 day rentals, per the sources checked.
In Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance v. City and County of Honolulu, the U.S. District Court for Hawaii enjoined the city from enforcing Ordinance 22-7 (including its advertising rules) against 30-89 day rentals lawfully operating before October 23, 2022, under HRS § 46-4(a).
Sources
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.