Honolulu County, HI Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum ownership
- 50% interest required
- Proof required
- Real property tax home exemption
- Applies to
- Bed and breakfast homes only
- Governing law
- ROH § 21-5.70-3(2)(A)(i)(cc)
Summary
Honolulu's bed and breakfast registration requires the property to carry a real-property-tax home exemption and the applicant to hold at least a 50 percent ownership interest, functioning as an owner-occupancy test.
For a bed and breakfast home, evidence of a real property tax home exemption for the subject property, and evidence that the applicant has a minimum 50 percent ownership interest in the subject property;
(dd) The initial registration fee for the bed and breakfast home or transient vacation unit in the amount specified in §
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
ROH § 21-5.70-3(2)(A)(i)(cc) requires bed and breakfast home applicants to submit, with the initial registration application, evidence of a real property tax home exemption for the subject property, and evidence that the applicant has a minimum 50 percent ownership interest in the subject property. Hawaii's home exemption is only available on an owner's principal residence, so a bed and breakfast home must be the operator's primary home. Transient vacation units are not subject to this home-exemption or ownership-interest requirement, so investor-owned non-owner-occupied units may only operate as transient vacation units, not bed and breakfast homes.
Violations & Fines
Registering a bed and breakfast home without the required home exemption or 50 percent ownership evidence is grounds for the Department of Planning and Permitting to deny the registration application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an investor register a non-owner-occupied home as a Honolulu B&B?
Does the ownership rule apply to transient vacation units too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
Compare Honolulu County to another location·View the Hawaii short-term rentals overview
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