First fines may soon be issued under Honolulu’s strict vacation rental law

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) -The first fines are in the pipeline since Honolulu passed a law strictly regulating vacation rentals.

City officials say the Department of Planning and Permitting issued 37 notices of violation to vacation rental operators suspected of advertising illegal rentals.

Seven of the violators either removed their advertisement or changed it to comply with the new ordinance.

At least one operator will soon receive a Notice of Order which carries the fines that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per day, according to the city. However, as of Wednesday, no fines have been issued.

The law, which went into effect on Aug. 1, makes it illegal to advertise properties for short-term rentals of less than 30 days. Since then, the city says roughly 1,600 illegal rentals have stopped advertising online.

The second component of the law will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2020 and will require a limited number of new bed and breakfasts to register with the city. It will also require hosting platforms to file monthly reports.

Suspected illegal vacation rentals can be reported to the city at 768-8127.

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