Visitors looking for a quick stay on the Hawaiian island Oahu will have a tough time finding an Airbnb in the future.
The most visited island on Hawaii recently passed a law that requires visitors to stay for a minimum of 90 days on short term rental contracts.
The minimum period for people who rent vacation homes currently is 30 days.
The new law was signed by the Mayor of Honolulu, Rick Blangiardi, late last month and will come into effect on 23 October.
The rationale behind the new law is to protect local communities and preserve natural resources for decades to come, according to Blangiardi.
Today, alongside Councilmember @BrandonElefante and Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina, I signed Bill 41 into law. This bill is about getting our neighborhoods back, protecting local communities and preserving our natural resources for decades to come. https://t.co/LyeNTbFEqk pic.twitter.com/URMnBD35gr
— Mayor Rick Blangiardi (@MayorRickHNL) April 27, 2022
The new law states that there are two types of short-term rentals (STRs):
Bed and breakfast homes (B&Bs)
The homeowner or permanent resident is present during the stay. Up to two rooms can be rented with a maximum of two adults per room during the transient stay.
Transient vacation units (TVUs)
These are unhosted rentals or are referred to as whole homes. A maximum of two adults are allowed per room for the transient stay.
The new law emphasises that advertisements of rentals or dwelling units that are not STRs can not include rental rates that are less than three months and have to include the following statement: “This property may not be rented for less than 90 consecutive days. Rental prices will not be reduced or adjusted based on the number of days the rental is actually used or occupied.”
These short-term rentals will only be allowed on select parts of the island, which have already received zoning for resorts such as Waikiki, the region’s famous tourist district, Turtle Bay, and Ko Olina.
There will be some exceptions in residential areas close to resorts, where it will be possible to obtain temporary accomodations.
Airbnb has opposed this new law.
The rental app said it was “deeply concerned” with the changes expressed.
