East Honolulu, HI Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Under Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (ROH) Sec. 21-5.730(b), as enacted by Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41, 2021), the owner or operator of a bed and breakfast home (B&B) or transient vacation unit (TVU) must register the use with the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) on a prescribed form. The initial application requires a title report, a valid State of Hawaii general excise tax license and transient accommodations tax license plus a city transient accommodations tax license, proof of a minimum $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance policy, and an initial registration fee of $1,000. Registration is effective for one year and must be renewed annually before expiration with a $500 renewal fee. Most of East Honolulu is residential, where new STR registrations are not issued; new B&B/TVU registrations are limited to designated apartment and resort areas (Waikiki Apartment Precinct, areas near Ko Olina and Turtle Bay resorts). Properties that operated legally before October 22, 1986 (TVUs) or December 28, 1989 (B&Bs) may hold nonconforming use certificates under ROH Secs. 21-4.110-1 and 21-4.110-2.