Enforcement of Oahu’s short-term rental law to begin Monday

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi says the city will defend its right to restrict Oahu short-term rentals outside of resort districts to 90 days, and starting Monday will begin aggressively enforcing all other provisions of its new short-term rental law.

Blangiardi and city officials held a news conference today at Honolulu Hale to address an Oct. 13 order from U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson. Watson granted a preliminary injunction to stop the city from enforcing provisions in Bill 41, ordinance 22-07, which pertain to increasing the minimum allowable stay for Oahu rentals outside of resort districts to 90 days from 30 days.

Blangiardi said that the city cannot enforce on rentals of 30 to 89 days due to a preliminary injunction. However, he said the city is ready to begin enforcement Monday on rentals of less than 30 days and all other provisions of the ordinance, which sets fines at up to $10,000 a day.

Short-term rental owners in resort districts, who are allowed to rent for less than 30 days, must register their properties when the city’s registration website goes live on Monday, Blangiardi said.

Blangiardi said the city is down 80 positions in the Department of Planning and Permitting, but plans to dedicate seven full-time inspectors to the endeavor, and more if needed.

The city also has set up a telephone hotline 808-768-7887 so that DPP can field complaints from the community about illegal short-term rentals.