Hawaii Short-Term Rental Laws by City (2026)
Short-term rental rules in Hawaii are set city by city — a property that is legal to rent nightly in one town can be prohibited a few miles away. The table below covers 2 Hawaii cities (2 human-verified against official sources), with each city's legal status, permit cost, and last-verified date.
Statewide short-term rental rules in Hawaii
Hawaii does not preempt local short-term rental rules — it does the opposite: Act 17 of 2024 (SB 2919) amended HRS § 46-4 to explicitly empower counties to regulate the 'time, place, manner, and duration' of land uses and to amortize or phase out transient vacation rentals in any zoning district, which Maui is now using to eliminate roughly 7,000 units. There is no statewide land-use STR license, but every operator must register with the Department of Taxation before operating — a one-time GET license ($20) plus a Transient Accommodations Tax certificate ($5 for 1-5 units) — and must display the TAT registration number in every listing on pain of $500-$5,000/day fines. Stays under 180 days pay the state TAT of 11% (raised from 10.25% on January 1, 2026 by the 'green fee' law) plus 4% GET (4.5% with county surcharges, max pass-on 4.712%), and each county adds its own 3% county TAT; Airbnb and Vrbo do not collect Hawaii taxes, so hosts must register and remit themselves. City and county rules apply on top of state law — check your local market's page.
| City | Status | Permit fee | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | Restricted | $1,000 | July 10, 2026 |
| Maui County | Restricted | $1,916 | July 12, 2026 |
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This page is informational only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Regulations change frequently — verify current requirements with each jurisdiction before operating. HOA and condo rules may prohibit short-term rentals regardless of city law.