Hawaii short-term rental regulations

Hawaii · The Aloha State5 markets coveredUpdated Apr 9, 2026

Restriction mix5 markets

Prohibited3 · 60%

Strict0

Moderate2 · 40%

Permissive0

Sort

Prohibited

Banned or owner-occupied only

3 markets

STRs are banned outright or limited to owner-occupied stays only.

Honolulu

Hawaii

Prohibited

Short-term rentals in Honolulu are strictly limited to properties in Resort-zoned areas or those with a valid Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC).

Permit requiredNight limitPrimary residence

Permit fee $1,0000.2% tax

Waipahu

Hawaii

Prohibited

Short-term rentals (stays under 30 days, or 90 days starting late 2025) are prohibited in residential neighborhoods like Waipahu unless the property holds a...

Permit requiredNight limitPrimary residence

Permit fee $1,0000.2% tax

Hawaii County

HawaiiCounty

Prohibited

Hawaii County strictly regulates Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) to specific resort and commercial zones; new STRs are generally prohibited in residential...

Permit requiredNight limitPrimary residence

Permit fee $5000.2% tax

Moderate

Permit required · STRs broadly allowed

2 markets

Permit + tax registration required; otherwise STRs are broadly allowed.

Kauai County

HawaiiCounty

Moderate

Short-term rentals in Kauai are strictly limited to Visitor Destination Areas (VDAs).

Permit requiredNight limitPrimary residence

Permit fee $7500.2% tax

Maui County

HawaiiCounty

Moderate

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Maui County are strictly controlled via a permitting system with hard caps on the number of permits available per...

Permit requiredNight limitPrimary residence

Permit fee $5500.2% tax

Disclaimer: Regulatory information is AI-researched from public city/county codes for educational purposes. Details may be outdated or incomplete. Always verify requirements directly with your local planning department before operating a short-term rental.