Kauai County

Short-term rentals in Kauai are strictly limited to Visitor Destination Areas (VDAs). Operating outside these areas is prohibited unless the property holds a pre-existing Non-Conforming Use Certificate (NUC) that has been continuously renewed.

To host an Airbnb in Kauai, you first need to make sure your property is in a designated tourist zone called a 'VDA'. If you are in a residential neighborhood outside these zones, you generally cannot rent your home for less than 180 days unless you have a specific historic permit (NUC). If you are eligible, you must get state tax IDs, register with the County Planning Department, and pay an annual fee of $750. Be very careful—Kauai has some of the highest fines in the country ($10,000 per day) for illegal rentals.