Illegal Hawaii Vacation Rentals: What Every Traveler Needs to Know (and 3 Steps to Stay Legal)

Did you know booking the wrong vacation rental in Hawaii could ruin your trip?

With stricter laws now in place, many travelers are unknowingly risking cancellations, fines, and disrupted vacations.

Hawaii’s crackdown on illegal vacation rentals is in full swing in 2025, with fines reaching up to $30,000 per day for unregistered properties. This episode dives into how these new rules could affect your trip, why they matter for local communities, and how you can avoid common booking mistakes to ensure a smooth and stress-free vacation.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn how to identify illegal rentals and avoid last-minute cancellations.
• Discover simple steps to verify your accommodations are legal.
• Understand how booking responsibly helps protect Hawaii’s culture, environment, and local communities.

Don’t risk your dream vacation! Play this episode now to discover how to book legally and travel responsibly in Hawaii.

Chapters:

• 0:39 - Understanding Hawaii's New Rental Laws
• 1:58 - Impact of Illegal Rentals
• 4:07 - Steps to Ensure a Legal Rental
• 6:08 - Why Legal Rentals Matter
• 6:50 - Final Tips

Sources:

• https://www8.honolulu.gov/dpp/permitting/str/
• https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/05/maui-mayor-takes-bold-step-to-eliminate-7000-short-term-rentals-by-2026/
• https://www.mauicounty.gov/faq.aspx?TID=82
• https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/office-of-the-governor-news-release-gov-green-signs-sb-2919-into-law-to-empower-county-regulation-of-short-term-rentals-provides-affordable-housing-progress-update/

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This podcast is for travelers looking to plan a trip to Hawaii. Discover travel tips, itineraries, and traveling tips & hacks with guides to help you explore Hawaii. Whether you’re planning a vacation to the Hawaiian islands, dreaming of a Hawaiian getaway, or visiting Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Oahu, or Big Island we’ll help you travel with aloha.

Edge of the Ocean, Stick Figure (w/ permission)

Ukulele and Chill, Coby G (w/ permission)

Chapters

• 0:39 Understanding Hawaii's New Rental Laws
• 1:58 Impact of Illegal Rentals
• 4:07 Steps to Ensure a Legal Rental
• 6:08 Why Legal Rentals Matter
• 6:50 Final Tips

Transcript

# 136_Illegal Rental Properties_01

[00:00:00] **Bryan Murphy:** In this episode, you'll discover how Hawaii's enforcement on illegal rentals can impact your next trip. The signs of an illegal rental and how to avoid a booking mistake that could ruin your vacation.

[00:00:18] **Music:** We

[00:00:22] **Bryan Murphy:** aloha and welcome to Hawaii's Best, the podcast that helps you discover the best of Hawaii. Here you'll get travel tips, the latest news and everything you need to plan an unforgettable trip to Hawaii. Happy Aloha Friday. My name is Brian Murphy and I'm your guide to the best of Hawaii. In this special Aloha Friday episode, you'll discover how Hawaii's new enforcement on illegal vacation rentals could affect your next trip.

[00:00:48] The simple steps you can take to avoid booking a property that could ruin your vacation and why staying in legal accommodations is more important than just staying outta trouble. Welcome to episode 1 36 of Hawaii's Best on a Special Aloha Friday. Sometimes I do these episodes and I keep them brief.

[00:01:06] Try to keep 'em around five minutes so you can get a little bit of news about what's happening around the islands, and then get on with your weekend on the show. We often feature local businesses and voices who share the unique. Perspectives on visiting Hawaii and its culture. All for the purpose of helping you travel with aloha today.

[00:01:26] It's just me and you, and today we'll be talking about the enforcement of Hawaii's regulations around short term vacation rentals and what you need to know before booking. Planning a trip to Hawaii can feel exciting, been there, totally get it, but it's easy to make a common mistake when booking a vacation rental.

[00:01:46] And by the end of this episode, you'll know if you're making this mistake and how to avoid it so you can protect your trip. Stay legal and enjoy a smoother, more meaningful vacation on the islands. Hawaii has introduced stricter rules for short-term vacation rentals in 2025. This includes higher fees for illegal properties and tighter enforcement of zoning laws that limit rentals to specific tourist areas.

[00:02:13] Bill SB 29 19 signed on May 2nd, 2024. Went into law the very next day, May 3rd, 2024. But in this year, 2025, Hawaii's crackdown on illegal vacation rentals is in full effect with counties, especially on Maui, enforcing stricter rules, fines, and zoning bans in residential areas. Those booking non-compliant rentals risks, cancellations or disruptions, making it crucial to verify accommodations and support responsible tourism that protects Hawaii's communities and culture.

[00:02:51] So. If a rental isn't registered or located in an approved zone, it's considered illegal This year. Officials are stepping up enforcement using software to track down under registered listings on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO counties across the islands. Are starting to crack down harder than before for unexpecting travelers, this could mean that booking an illegal rental could lead to last minute cancellations or worse fines.

[00:03:22] That could definitely ruin someone's trip. So why is this even all happening and it's. At the core about protecting Hawaii's local communities. There's been some tension around this bill. I'm not gonna get into that. I wanna talk specifically about what the bill is and what is being enforced. Illegal vacation rentals have been a serious problem for years In Hawaii, they pull homes out of the long-term rental market, making it harder for residents to find affordable housing.

[00:03:53] They also increase costs for locals and disrupt the lives of those living in residential areas with extra traffic, noise and overcrowding. These are the main reasons why the bill was introduced, signed, and passed. I. So probably the biggest question is how can you avoid booking an illegal rental? It's easier than you might think, and it just takes a few small extra steps to help save you a lot of trouble when looking for accommodations for your trip.

[00:04:23] Step one is look for a transient. Accommodations tax, or TAT number. All legal rentals in Hawaii, no matter the county, are all required to display this number on their listing. So if it's missing, it's definitely a huge red flag that this property may not be legal. Step two, verify the rental through official channels.

[00:04:49] Each county in Hawaii has its own website where you can check if your property is registered as a legal short term rental. It only takes a few minutes. I put some of those. I. In the resource of the podcast description of this episode, I also have cited the sources of this data as well, so you can check that out in the episode description of the podcast by just scrolling below.

[00:05:14] Step three, ask the host directly. That might seem obvious, but a lot of people don't. So if you're unsure. Don't hesitate to reach out and ask a property owner whether their rental complies with local laws. A legitimate host should have no problem providing proof of registration or zoning compliance in step four to simply consider a.

[00:05:38] Alternatives if finding a legal rental is proving difficult, especially of where you wanna stay, the time of year you want to go, there are plenty of other options. And obviously those being hotels, resorts, these accommodations are fully compliant with state regulations and can give you that piece. Of mine, but if you want to stay in a rental property, it's definitely worth doing those first three steps to ensure that your booking is legal.

[00:06:08] Booking illegal rental isn't just about avoiding fines or last minute cancellations. It's also about traveling responsibly and supports Hawaii's efforts to preserve its communities. Like I said, there is tension around this. Bill, this is what the headlines of the bill have proposed to help with, is to help the tension between locals and visitors, giving locals more accessible options to housing and visitors more clear choices in how to book their accommodations before you book your next trip to Hawaii, and hopefully that is soon.

[00:06:44] Hopefully that is 2025. Take a few extra minutes just to confirm that your rental is legal. It's a few simple steps that can ensure your vacation goes smoothly, and like I mentioned, for the links of the resources that I have used to gather this info, you can just scroll down to the episode description of this podcast.

[00:07:04] I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Happy aloha Friday and until next time, be well. Aloha real quick, if you've ever gotten any value from the show, please, if you haven't yet, leave us a five star review. I get a notification every time and they almost always make my day, and I really would love to hear from you.

[00:07:23] It really helps our team and helps us keep going and making episodes that help bring you closer to Hawaii. 

[00:07:33] **Announcement:** Mahalo for listening to this episode of Hawaii's. Best to stay up to date on future episodes. Please subscribe and visit us@hawaiibesttravel.com.