Advocacy Updates

Update on Proposed Short-term Rental Amendments

The Honolulu Planning Commission closed public testimony on the Short-Term rental proposed bill at the end of Wednesday’s (9/8) public hearing. The planning commission will not act on the matter until a September 29th meeting.

DPP Director Uchida offered responses to commissioners’ questions and additional amendments to the proposed bill. Highlights of the newly proposed changes include:

  • Changed the definition for transient occupants to Visitor or person who owns, rents, or uses a lodging or dwelling unit, or portion thereof, for less than 180 days whose permanent address for legal purposes is not the unit. This definition shall NOT apply to:
    • Non-paying guest of the family
    • Patients & clients in health care facilities; temporary employees of health care facilities
    • Full-time students
    • Full-time remote workers
    • Military personnel in transition
    • Homeowners in transition
    • Additional exceptions list on page 37 in the revised bill here
  • Except for family members, all other rental agreements for less than 180 days must have prior approval from the department. Owners of the unit will be required to provide supporting documentation when requested by the department to verify tenets qualify for the less than 180-day exemptions.
  • For A-1 and A-2 apartment districts, it’s recommended that the number of B&B and TVUs not exceed 50% of total dwelling units in a multifamily dwelling.
  • Removed the provisions requiring hotels and third-party booking services restricting discounted rental rates to condo hotel units for guests by owners.
  • Added: Persons occupying a hotel unit as a principal place of residence on the effective date of this ordinance shall be allowed to continue the use of the hotel unit as a principal place of residence as a nonconforming use. For the purposes of this subsection, the nonconforming use of the hotel unit as a principal place of residence shall extend throughout the entire hotel unit and terminate when the persons occupying the hotel unit on the effective date of this ordinance no longer occupy the hotel unit as their principal place of residence.

As previously mentioned, HBR, in connection with our City Affairs Committee, submitted testimony on this matter. Currently, HBR is working with NAR’s Land Use Ordinance team to review the proposed measure further. This matter is a top priority for HBR and CAC. We will be working with the DPP, City Council, administration, and the community to continue this dialogue. Again, there will be several additional public hearings on this matter once introduced to the City Council.

View HBR’s submitted testimony and survey results report

View the revised bill here

View the HBR calendar

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