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Honolulu Bill 41 (2022) effectively bans short-term rentals of less than 90 days across most of Oahu outside designated resort zones (Waikiki, Ko Olina, Turtle Bay, Makaha). Existing legal STRs (NUC — Nonconforming Use Certificate) in non-resort zones are grandfathered but cannot be transferred to new owners or operated as <90-day rentals after the transition periods. The 90-day minimum stay is the binding rule — most of Oahu's residentially-zoned STR inventory became illegal under Bill 41.
STR <30 days allowed only in designated Apartment Precinct, Resort Mixed Use, and Resort Commercial zones (Waikiki — most of it; Ko Olina; Turtle Bay; Makaha). Outside these zones, the 90-day minimum stay is the binding rule — properties cannot offer <90 days. Existing NUC-holders pre-Bill-41 are grandfathered but with strict non-transferability. Most Oahu residential parcels are no longer legal STR markets under Bill 41.
Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.
Honolulu Department of Planning & Permitting enforces with platform-data scraping (Airbnb/Vrbo) cross-referenced against NUC + resort-zone registry. Operating illegal STR: $10,000-$100,000 daily fines — among the highest STR enforcement penalties in the US. The Bill 41 transition period ended in 2023; full enforcement now active. Maui County (separate jurisdiction — Bill 119) and Kauai County have their own parallel restrictive frameworks.
Combined short-term lodging tax in Honolulu is approximately 17.962% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).
Hawaii State General Excise Tax 4.712% + Hawaii Transient Accommodations Tax 10.25% + Honolulu County TAT 3.0% — combined ~17.96% on transient lodging
Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.
STR regulations vary by jurisdiction. Compare Honolulu against nearby markets.