Short-term rental rules

Running an Airbnb in Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu (City and County, Oahu) tightly restricts rentals of under 90 days in residential neighbourhoods, and the shift toward a 90-day minimum has been the subject of litigation and injunctions. Registration is required for short-term rentals, and guests pay the state and county transient accommodations taxes plus general excise tax.

5 of 13 fields confirmedLast checked 18 Jul 2026 Lodging tax in Honolulu

The rules

Every field, with its source

Anything not confirmed on an official source shows as Verify with jurisdiction rather than a guess.

Licence or permit required

YesReported

Rentals of under 90 days must be registered, with a reported 1,000 USD initial fee and 500 USD annual renewal.

Source

Primary residence required

Verify with jurisdictionUnverified

Annual night cap

Verify with jurisdictionUnverified

Not a night cap; Oahu instead restricts terms of under 90 days in most residential areas, a rule contested in court.

Zoning restricted

Yes, limited to certain zonesReported

Short-term rentals under 90 days are restricted in residential neighbourhoods; legal non-conforming use continues in resort-zoned areas.

Source

Permit number shown on listing

Verify with jurisdictionUnverified

Handled by Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting; exact URL not confirmed in research.

Enforcement notes

Bill 41 (CO 22-7) and Bill 62 (CO 25-02) sought to raise the minimum rental term from 30 to 90 days; a federal injunction has blocked enforcement of the 30-to-90-day change, leaving the regime contested.Reported

Source

Check eligibility

Can you run each type of STR in Honolulu?

A deterministic read of the cited rules for each common use type. When a governing rule is unknown, the verdict says so rather than guessing.

My primary residence (home-share)

Allowed with a permit

Short-term rentals are allowed in Honolulu once you obtain the required licence and follow the rules below.

A short-term rental licence or registration is required before you list.

Short-term rentals are restricted to certain zones. Confirm your property's zoning allows it.
Bill 41 (CO 22-7) and Bill 62 (CO 25-02) sought to raise the minimum rental term from 30 to 90 days; a federal injunction has blocked enforcement of the 30-to-90-day change, leaving the regime contested.

Confidence: high. You live there and rent it while away or rent a room.

A whole second home / investment property

Allowed with a permit

Short-term rentals are allowed in Honolulu once you obtain the required licence and follow the rules below.

A short-term rental licence or registration is required before you list.

Whether non-primary whole-home rentals are allowed is not confirmed. This is the most common restriction, so verify it.
Short-term rentals are restricted to certain zones. Confirm your property's zoning allows it.
Bill 41 (CO 22-7) and Bill 62 (CO 25-02) sought to raise the minimum rental term from 30 to 90 days; a federal injunction has blocked enforcement of the 30-to-90-day change, leaving the regime contested.

Confidence: medium. A dedicated STR that is not your primary residence.

An ADU, basement or garage unit

Allowed with a permit

Short-term rentals are allowed in Honolulu once you obtain the required licence and follow the rules below.

A short-term rental licence or registration is required before you list.

Short-term rentals are restricted to certain zones. Confirm your property's zoning allows it.
Bill 41 (CO 22-7) and Bill 62 (CO 25-02) sought to raise the minimum rental term from 30 to 90 days; a federal injunction has blocked enforcement of the 30-to-90-day change, leaving the regime contested.

Confidence: high. An accessory dwelling on your property.

Unhosted, whole-unit, no owner on site

Allowed with a permit

Short-term rentals are allowed in Honolulu once you obtain the required licence and follow the rules below.

A short-term rental licence or registration is required before you list.

Whether non-primary whole-home rentals are allowed is not confirmed. This is the most common restriction, so verify it.
Short-term rentals are restricted to certain zones. Confirm your property's zoning allows it.
Bill 41 (CO 22-7) and Bill 62 (CO 25-02) sought to raise the minimum rental term from 30 to 90 days; a federal injunction has blocked enforcement of the 30-to-90-day change, leaving the regime contested.

Confidence: medium. The strictest category in most cities.

LodgeDeck reports publicly available short-term rental rules and lodging tax rates and cites the source of each field. It is not legal or tax advice and it does not replace your own review. Ordinances and tax rates change often and automated collection can lag, so every field shows the source it came from and a confidence flag, and unconfirmed values are marked Unverified. Confirm with the jurisdiction before you rely on a rule or rate.

FAQ

Common questions about Honolulu

Do I need a licence to run an Airbnb in Honolulu?

Yes. Honolulu requires a short-term rental licence or registration before you list. Rentals of under 90 days must be registered, with a reported 1,000 USD initial fee and 500 USD annual renewal.

Does a short-term rental have to be my primary residence in Honolulu?

Not confirmed on an official source for Honolulu. Verify with the jurisdiction before you rely on it.

Is there a night cap on short-term rentals in Honolulu?

No annual night cap is confirmed for Honolulu in our data. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Do I have to show my permit number on the listing in Honolulu?

Not confirmed on an official source for Honolulu. Verify with the jurisdiction before you rely on it.

What lodging tax will my guest pay in Honolulu?

The combined lodging tax for Honolulu is not confirmed as a single figure in our data. See the lodging-tax page for the components we do have.

See the lodging tax a guest pays in Honolulu

Track Honolulu for rule changes

Save the property and get an email when a rule or rate on this page changes. Free to check; monitoring is on Pro.

Open the free calculators All cities