Rules for renting out your home short-term

(a) Short-term vacation rentals; where permitted, specific prohibitions. (1) Short-term vacation rentals shall be permitted in the: (A) V, CG, and CV districts; (B) Residential and commercial zoning districts, situated in the General Plan Resort and Resort Node areas; and (C) RM district, for multiple family dwellings within a condominium property regime as defined and governed by chapters 514A or 514B, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes. (2) Private covenants prohibiting use of any unit as a short-term vacation rental shall not be invalidated by this chapter. (b) Registration of all short-term vacation rentals. (1) Short-term vacation rentals in existence on or before April 1, 2019 shall register with the director and pay a one-time fee of $500. The registration form and associated fee shall be submitted to the planning department no later than September 30, 2019. (2) Any new short-term vacation rental established in a zoning district after April 1, 2019, where such use is permissible pursuant to this UNOFFICIAL ADVANCE SHEET – Updated on August 5, 2026. Contains sec(s) affected since publication of Supp. 20 (7-2026). Official revision to be published in a subsequent republication of the County Code. section, shall register with the director and pay a one-time fee of $500 prior to use of such rental. (3) Short-term vacation rentals shall only be established within a dwelling that has been issued final approvals by the building division for building, electrical, and plumbing permits. (4) Owners of short-term vacation rentals shall register by submitting a form to the planning department in a format prescribed by the director. The registration form, at a minimum, shall require: (A) Verification that State of Hawai‘i general excise tax and transient accommodations tax licenses are in effect and verification that County property taxes are paid in full; (B) Certification that the requisite amount of parking pursuant to section 25-4-51, is available; (C) Submittal of a site plan showing the location of the rooms for rent and requisite parking; and (D) Verification that notification letters from nonconforming use applicants have been sent to all owners and lessees of record of all lots of which any portion is within three hundred feet of any point along the perimeter boundary of the short-term vacation rental property. The notification letter shall provide detailed information about the short-term vacation rental operation including: number of units being rented; maximum number of guests permitted; number and location of required parking spaces; and instructions on how to submit complaints to the planning department about the subject rental operation. (5) Owners of short-term vacation rentals shall notify the director when a short- term vacation rental establishment permanently ceases to operate for any reason. (6) Upon change in ownership, the new owner shall notify the director forthwith of the change in ownership and provide contact information for the reachable person. Registration shall automatically continue, subject to termination by the new owner. (7) Any short-term vacation rental that has not lawfully registered within the deadlines set forth in this section shall be considered an unpermitted use and subject to the penalties set forth in this chapter until such time as proper registration and compliance with applicable requirements of this section are obtained. (c) Standards. All short-term vacation rentals shall be subject to the following standards: (1) The owner or reachable person shall reside in the County of Hawai‘i and shall be reachable by guests, neighbors, and County agencies on a twenty-four hour, seven days-per-week basis. The owner shall notify the planning department of any changes to their contact information forthwith. (2) Good neighbor policy. The owner or reachable person shall be responsible to ensure that activities taking place within the short-term vacation rental SUPP. 6 (7-2019) 25-57.1 ZONING § 25-4-16 conform to the character of the existing neighborhood in which the rental is located. At a minimum, the following shall be prominently displayed within the dwelling unit and recited in the rental agreement signed by the tenant: (A) Quiet hours shall be from 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., during which time the noise from the short-term vacation rental shall not unreasonably disturb adjacent neighbors. (B) Sound that is audible beyond the property boundaries during non-quiet hours shall not be more excessive than would be otherwise associated with a residential area. (C) Guest vehicles shall be parked in the designated onsite parking area. (3) All print and internet advertising of short-term vacation rentals, including listings with a rental service or real estate firm, shall include the registration or nonconforming use certificate number. (4) A copy of the registration as well as the reachable person’s name and phone number, shall be displayed on the back of the front door of the sleeping quarters. (5) Off-street parking shall meet the requirements set forth in section 25-4-51 and applicable parking standards in this chapter. (6) Any commercial signage that advertises a short-term vacation rental shall comply with the requirements of section 22-2.6 and chapter 3 of this Code. (d) Complaints and public information. The director shall: (1) Receive and track complaints regarding short-term vacation rentals; (2) Provide information about rules, policies, and procedures pertaining to short- term vacation rentals to property owners, managers, neighbors, and the general public; and (3) Maintain a list of all short-term vacation rentals that have registered or received a nonconforming use certificate. (e) Director duties in event of emergency. In the event of a declared emergency, natural or manmade, where a significant number of nonconforming short-term vacation rentals are permanently lost within any given judicial district, the director shall assess the effect of such loss upon the affected district and if deemed necessary, initiate legislative and administrative opportunities to restore such loss in short-term vacation rental capacity within the district of origin. (2018, ord 08-114, sec 2.) 25-4-16