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Honolulu County, HI Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Revocation trigger
More than 2 notices of order in 1 year
Other revocation grounds
Community impact findings or director's good cause
Registration transferability
Not transferable, does not run with land
Per-notice fine
Up to $10,000 plus $10,000 per day
Nonrenewal risk
Recurring violations trigger denial of renewal

Summary

ROH § 21-5.70-3(2)(C)(ix)(aa) lets Honolulu's planning director revoke a bed and breakfast home or transient vacation unit's registration at any time once the owner or operator has racked up more than two notices of order for violations within a single year, on top of the fines those notices already carry.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Honolulu County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(viii) The violation of any provision of this subsection will be grounds for administrative fines and nonrenewal unless corrected before the renewal deadline. Recurring or multiple violations will result in denial of renewal requests; (ix) The director may revoke a registration at any time by issuing a notice of revocation under the following circumstances: (aa) The owner or operator receives more than two notices of order within a one-year period for violation of this subsection; (bb) The owner or operator demonstrates an inability to operate a bed and breakfast home or transient vacation unit without causing significant negative impacts to the surrounding community; including but not limited to instances where complaints from the public indicate that noise or other nuisances created by transient occupants disturbs residents of the neighborhood in which the bed and breakfast home or transient vacation unit is located; or (cc) The director determines that good cause exists for revocation of the registration; (x) Registration as a bed and breakfast home or transient vacation unit is not transferable, and does not run with the land.

View official code

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

Honolulu's short-term rental rules build a three-strikes framework into registration itself, not just fines. 70-3(2)(C)(viii) already says any violation of the STR restrictions is grounds for administrative fines and nonrenewal unless corrected before the renewal deadline, and that recurring or multiple violations will result in denial of renewal requests. 70-3(2)(C)(ix) goes further: the director may revoke a registration outright, at any time, by issuing a notice of revocation, and subsection (aa) sets the numeric trigger, more than two notices of order within a one-year period for violation of the STR restrictions subsection.

The director can also revoke under (bb) if the owner or operator demonstrates an inability to operate without significant negative community impacts, including noise or nuisance complaints from neighbors, or under (cc) for any other good cause the director identifies. A revoked registration is gone for good in that sense: under subsection (x), STR registration does not run with the land and is not transferable, so a new owner or operator must apply for a fresh registration rather than inherit or resurrect one that was revoked. 150-2, including fines up to $10,000 per violation and up to $10,000 per day for continuing bed and breakfast or transient vacation unit violations.

Violations & Fines

Each of the more-than-two notices of order that trigger revocation can independently carry a civil fine of up to $10,000, plus up to $10,000 per day the violation continues, under § 21-2.150-2(e)(3). The director may also fine the owner an amount equal to everything collected from the illegal rental activity during the fined period, on top of daily fines, under § 21-2.150-2(h).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many violations can an STR host get before losing their permit in Honolulu?
The director can revoke a bed and breakfast or transient vacation unit registration at any time once the owner or operator has received more than two notices of order within a single one-year period, under § 21-5.70-3(2)(C)(ix)(aa). Even before that threshold, recurring violations can already result in denial of the annual registration renewal.
Can Honolulu revoke my STR registration for neighbor complaints alone?
Yes. Subsection (bb) lets the director revoke a registration if the owner or operator demonstrates an inability to operate without significant negative community impacts, expressly including noise or nuisance complaints from neighbors, even without hitting the two-notice threshold in (aa). Subsection (cc) also allows revocation for any other good cause the director finds.
Can I sell my house and transfer the STR registration to the buyer?
No. Section 21-5.70-3(2)(C)(x) says registration as a bed and breakfast home or transient vacation unit is not transferable and does not run with the land. Any change in ownership or operator requires the new owner or operator to apply for their own registration from scratch.
What fines come with a revocation-triggering notice of order?
Each notice of order for a bed and breakfast or transient vacation unit violation can carry a civil fine of up to $10,000, plus up to $10,000 per day the violation continues uncorrected. The director can also make the owner forfeit whatever rental income they collected during the fined period, on top of those fines.

Sources & Official References

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