Light at the end of the TVU tunnel

There seems to be movement, after a long hiatus, for regulation of vacation rentals by the Honolulu City Council. The affected communities and this largely underground sector of the visitor industry find both good news and bad news in the bills that are moving.

The mayor’s enforcement strategy is being watched with concern by some, but others are buoyed by the prospect of new permits being granted for the first time in 30 years. Opponents of vacation rentals are alarmed by the prospect of reopening that door but want to see better enforcement of the existing law.