Honolulu County, HI Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Bathroom required
- Toilet, sink, tub or shower
- Kitchen required
- Sink, nonabsorbent material
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Planning & Permitting
- Applies to
- All dwelling units, lodging houses
Summary
Every dwelling unit, lodging house, and congregate residence across Oahu must have a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and tub or shower, plus a kitchen with a sink, under Honolulu's Housing Code sanitation standard.
(a) Dwelling units, lodging houses, and congregate residences. Every dwelling unit, lodging house and congregate residence shall be provided with a bathroom equipped with facilities consisting of a water closet, lavatory, and either a bathtub or shower. ... (c) Kitchen. Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a kitchen. Every kitchen shall be provided with a kitchen sink. No wooden sink or sink of similarly absorbent material shall be permitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Supplement 10, 12-2025 Ordinance No. 25-40 through Ordinance No. 25-56).
Full Breakdown
The Housing Code's Space and Occupancy Standards (§ 16A-4.5) set minimum sanitation facilities for every dwelling unit, lodging house, and congregate residence island-wide: a bathroom with a water closet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower, plus a kitchen with a sink of nonabsorbent material. Hotels without private baths must provide shared facilities per floor, one extra water closet for every 10 guests over the first 10. The Department of Planning and Permitting's building official enforces these standards through inspections triggered by resident or public complaints under § 16A-10.3.
Violations & Fines
Failing to meet sanitation standards is a Housing Code violation: the building official issues a notice of violation, and noncompliance is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 or one year in jail per day, per § 16A-10.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bathroom facilities must a Honolulu rental have?
Who enforces Honolulu's rental habitability code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
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