Oahu Short-Term Rental Rules: 2026 Update
Oahu is perhaps the most locked-down Hawaiian island when it comes to short-term rental rules. The County of Honolulu (which encompasses all of Oahu) has carved out a handful of zones where STRs are legal, drawn literal maps around them, and made clear that everything outside those lines is a hard no for new STR permits. It’s not complicated once you understand the framework.
This article breaks down Oahu short-term rental rules, what type of permit you might be able to secure, and dives into some of the regulations that may help determine whether your Oahu STR makes or breaks your bank account.
Quick Overview: Short-term rentals on Oahu are legal in a narrow set of locations — primarily A-1 and A-2 apartment zoning districts within 3,500 feet of a major resort, inside resort zones where they generally operate as timeshares or condotel units, plus a small slice of Waikiki. If a property isn’t in one of those zones, it cannot be legally registered as a new STR today. Within permitted areas, you can run either a bed and breakfast home (you live there) or a transient vacation unit (you don’t live there). Outside of these zones, some legacy units operate with NUCs.
Disclaimer: This article summarizes some of Oahu’s STR ordinances (as of February 18, 2026) for informational purposes only. It is not an exhaustive list of all rules and regulations related to STRs on Oahu. It’s not legal or investment advice. Verify current rules with a Hawaii real estate attorney before making any big decisions.
Key Terms at a Glance
| Term | What It Means | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bed and Breakfast Home (B&B) | STR in a unit where the owner/operator also lives | Requires owner-occupancy — not available to absentee investors |
| Transient Vacation Unit (TVU) | STR in a unit the owner doesn’t live in | The standard investor structure; no residency requirement |
| Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC) | Legacy operating permit for pre-1986/1989 STRs | Can operate in zones closed to new registrations; transfers with property if kept current |
| Permitted Zone | A-1/A-2 zoning near qualifying resorts, specific Waikiki parcels, Hoakalei area | Properties outside these zones cannot get a new STR registration |
| Registration | Annual permit required to operate a B&B or TVU | Typically non-transferable |
| Figures 21-5.1 through 21-5.4 | Official LUO maps defining permitted STR boundaries | Maps override text descriptions in any conflict; always verify by map |
Top 5 Oahu Short-Term Rental Rules
- Location is binary. Either a specific unit or parcel is within a permitted zone map or it isn’t. Verify against the actual LUO maps (Figures 21-5.1–21-5.4) before any other analysis.
- STR registrations don’t transfer at sale. When you sell, your registration typically terminates. The new buyer must apply for a new registration under whatever rules exist at that time.
- NUC properties are a different beast. A valid NUC can operate in zones closed to new registrations and the certificate can transfer to a new owner if it has been kept current. The price premium when these properties hit the sale market is real and often justified.
- Absentee investors need a TVU, not a B&B. If you won’t live in the property, the B&B category isn’t available to you. TVU is the more investor-viable registration type.
- Violations can end your operating right. A single notice of order can trigger permit renewal denial. More than two in a year can result in outright revocation. Property management quality isn’t just an operational issue — it’s also an essential piece of your continued right-to-operate.
Where Short-Term Rentals Are Allowed
Oahu’s Land Use Ordinance (LUO) limits STR operation to three specific situations. If a property doesn’t fall into one of these, registration generally isn’t available.
1. Near major resort communities (Ko Olina and Turtle Bay areas)
Properties in A-1 (low-density apartment) or A-2 (medium-density apartment) zoning districts can qualify if two conditions are both met: 1) the property is within 3,500 feet of a resort zoning district of more than 50 contiguous acres, and 2) the resort and apartment districts were rezoned together under the same zone change application as part of a master-planned resort community.
In practice, this covers the Ko Olina area on the west side and the Turtle Bay area on the north shore. The exact boundaries are controlled by maps (Figures 21-5.2 and 21-5.3 in the LUO), not just the textual descriptions. The maps win if there’s any conflict with the text, so when you’re evaluating a specific property, you really need the map confirmation — not just the address.
2. Waikiki Special District
STRs are permitted in the apartment precinct of the Waikiki Special District, specifically on two tax map key parcels: (1)2-6-025:005 and (1)2-6-028:011, on the mauka (mountain) side of Kuhio Avenue. This is a small, defined area — not all of Waikiki.
3. Hoakalei Resort area
A-2 zoned properties contiguous to the Hoakalei Resort and Lagoon in Ewa Beach are also eligible. Again, the map (Figure 21-5.4) controls the exact boundaries.
Everything else on Oahu is generally off the table for new STR registrations. Residential zones, most apartment zones, the North Shore outside the Turtle Bay map area — none of this typically qualifies for a new STR. The regulations also say that if a development plan or sustainable communities plan prohibits STRs in an area, new registrations won’t be issued there even if the zoning would otherwise seem to qualify.
A Parallel Path: Resort-Zoned Condotels
The B&B/TVU registration system isn’t the only way to legally run a short-term rental on Oahu — it’s just the one that applies to apartment-zoned properties. Resort-zoned properties operate under an entirely different framework and are worth understanding as a separate investment category.
The LUO defines the resort zone as an area intended for visitor-oriented destination centers, with hotels and lodging units as the primary permitted use. Condos and units within resort-zoned buildings can operate as short-term rentals without going through the B&B/TVU registration process at all — they function as condotel units or hotel-managed residences under hotel licensing structures. That’s why the TVU definition in the ordinance specifically excludes hotels and timeshares: those uses are governed separately.
In practice, this means there are three distinct investor paths on Oahu:
Path 1 — Resort-zoned condotel:
Buy a unit in a resort-zoned building like the Ilikai or Waikiki Shore in Waikiki, the Beach Villas at Ko Olina, or the Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay. Operate as a short-term rental under hotel/condotel rules. The B&B/TVU registration system doesn’t apply to you.
Path 2 — Apartment-zoned TVU:
Buy a unit in an eligible A-1 or A-2 zoned building within the permitted map areas. Register as a TVU under the ordinances we’ve been discussing.
Path 3 — Acquire a property with an existing NUC:
Buy a property that already holds a valid, active nonconforming use certificate — potentially in a zone that’s completely closed to new registrations today, including residential neighborhoods. If the NUC is current at the time of transfer and you renew it before it expires, the operating right carries forward to you.
There are a few practical distinctions between the three paths worth knowing. Resort-zoned condotels typically carry higher price points and often come with mandatory hotel management programs that take a significant revenue cut in exchange for handling operations. The upside is that the short-term rental right is generally baked into the property itself — it doesn’t depend on a revocable annual registration. Apartment-zoned TVU properties may offer more operational flexibility and lower acquisition costs, but you’re subject to the registration system and some level of risk that rules tighten further in the future. NUC properties sit in a category of their own — they can be located anywhere on the island, command a scarcity premium, and the operating right survives a sale as long as you don’t let the certificate lapse. The tradeoff is that NUCs require active management to maintain (annual renewal, minimum occupancy days, active tax licenses) and if you ever let one expire, it’s gone permanently with no clear path to reinstatement.
One important caveat: zoning is often a necessary but not sufficient condition for establishing STR rights. HOA and association rules can prohibit STRs even in a legally permitted zone. Within Ko Olina, for example, the Beach Villas are set up for true short-term rentals, while some other residential communities in the same resort area have 30-day minimum rental requirements baked into their association rules. It’s always smart to verify both the zoning and the governing documents of the specific building before getting serious.
B&B vs. TVU: The Owner-Occupancy Question
Within permitted areas, there are two types of STR licenses. Which one you can get depends on whether you plan to live in the property.
Bed and Breakfast Home (B&B): You (or your lessee/operator) must live in the same dwelling unit you’re renting out to guests. The city also requires a real property tax home exemption on the property and proof that you hold at least a 50% ownership interest. This is an owner-occupied model — you’re renting out rooms or a portion of your primary residence, not running an absentee investment.
Transient Vacation Unit (TVU): No owner-occupancy requirement. You can own it as a pure investment property and rent the entire unit to guests while living elsewhere. This is the structure most investors are targeting.
The NUC: A Separate Category Worth Understanding
You may encounter listings marketed as having a “nonconforming use certificate” or NUC. These are a distinct class of STR operating rights that predate the current registration system.
TVU NUCs apply to units that were operating as short-term rentals before October 22, 1986, and held a valid NUC as of August 1, 2019. B&B NUCs cover operations that predate December 28, 1989, and similarly held a valid NUC as of August 1, 2019.
Here’s why NUCs matter to investors: they can be in locations that would not qualify for a new registration today. A property with a valid NUC in a residential zone on Oahu can continue operating legally as an STR, even though nobody new can get permission to do the same thing next door.
The other key difference: NUCs can transfer to a new owner. If you buy a property with a valid, active NUC before it expires, you (as the new owner) can renew it and keep operating. The NUC doesn’t survive a lapse — if the previous owner let it expire before you close, it’s gone. But if you time the acquisition correctly and maintain continuous renewals, the operating right will typically carry with the property.
Among other details, an NUC renewal requires proof of active GET and TAT licenses, plus evidence that the unit was actually used for short-term occupancies (at least 35 days for TVU NUCs, 28 days for B&B NUCs) during the prior year. The annual renewal window is September 1 through October 15.
A property with a valid NUC in a non-permitted zone commands a premium — and it’s a premium that’s often genuinely justified by the scarcity of these assets.
Resale Risk? Many Registrations Not Transferable
This is one of the more investor-unfriendly aspects of the current rules, and it has direct implications for your long-term expectations.
New STR registrations — the kind you’d apply for today on a property in a permitted zone — are explicitly non-transferable and do not run with the land. When you sell the property, the registration dies. The next buyer will have to apply for a new registration from scratch.
The buyer’s ability to get that new registration depends on the rules in effect at the time they apply, which might of course be materially different from the rules in place today. If registration caps are introduced, if the property no longer qualifies under updated zoning rules, or if the city is just backed up and not processing applications in a timely manner, the new buyer may be delayed or, in the worst case, may not be able to operate as an STR at all.
This creates a potential problem for your exit if the rules change substantially and it becomes less certain that new buyers will be able to get the required permission to operate.
NUC properties don’t have the same exposure to this potential problem (as long as the NUC is current at transfer), which is another reason they carry a premium.
Operational Limits That May Impact Revenue
A few rules and regulations are worth paying attention to now, due to the potential impact on your projected nightly rates and overall revenue:
Occupancy caps. The law sets a hard ceiling of 2 adult overnight guests per room, with total adult occupancy capped at 2 times the number of rooms. A 2-bedroom TVU can host at most 4 adults overnight. This isn’t unusual by market standards, but it means you can’t compensate for a high purchase price by squeezing in extra guests on a sleeper sofa in the living room.
No large events. The property cannot be used for gatherings of 10 or more people who aren’t registered overnight guests. This rules out hosting parties, events, or anything beyond normal guest use.
No exterior signage. You can’t put up any sign identifying the property as an STR. This doesn’t affect platforms like Airbnb or VRBO, but it’s a restriction worth knowing.
Advertising rules. Every listing must include the registration certificate number and tax map key number. Advertising an unregistered unit for less than 90 consecutive days is illegal in many instances. Enforcement can include fines up to $5,000 initially and up to $10,000 per day that the ad stays up after a violation notice.
Registration and the Risk of Losing It
Registration lasts one year and must be renewed annually. The city can deny renewal or revoke an existing registration if the operator accumulates violations — specifically if you receive one or more notices of order within a one-year period, or if you demonstrate that you can’t run the property without causing significant negative impacts on the neighborhood.
Revocation requires more than two (2) notices of order in a one-year period, but renewal denial can happen after just one. The practical takeaway: if a property has a complaint history, that’s a material due diligence item. A single prior violation notice isn’t catastrophic, but a pattern of non-compliance is a red flag.
The Bottom Line for Investors
Oahu’s STR market is legally small by design. Honolulu County has deliberately confined new STR activity to a handful of resort-adjacent zones and one slice of Waikiki, and the rules are structured to prevent STR rights from becoming easily transferable assets like real property itself.
That means the investment case, when it works, often depends on location precision, timing, and careful due diligence. A property in the Ko Olina map area with a clean registration history is a fundamentally different asset than an identical property two blocks outside the map boundary. And a property with a legacy NUC in a residential zone is a different asset again — one where the operating right has real scarcity value, as long as the NUC is continuously maintained.
Some key questions to investigate include: Is this specific parcel within a permitted map area? Does it have an existing registration or NUC? If NUC, is it current? How do I feel about how the Oahu STR registration regime might evolve during my hold period?
Get the big picture right and the rest — occupancy rules, registration process, compliance requirements — are usually manageable with a good on-island contact and a steady stream of 1944 Mai Tais.
FAQ
Generally no. Only properties within two specific tax map key parcels in the Waikiki Special District apartment precinct, on the mauka side of Kuhio Avenue, qualify. Most of Waikiki is not in a permitted STR zone under current rules.
If you’re not living in the property, you need a TVU registration. B&Bs require the owner or operator to be a resident of the same dwelling unit. Absentee investors cannot obtain a B&B registration.
Not automatically. Registrations are non-transferable. When ownership changes, the registration terminates and the new owner must apply for a new one. If you’re buying specifically for the STR income, you may want to budget for registration downtime and confirm the property currently qualifies under the permitted zones map.
A NUC can be renewed by a new owner as long as the renewal happens before the existing NUC expires. If the NUC lapses at any point — including during a sale — the operating right is lost permanently and cannot be reinstated.
Only if the property has a valid, continuously-maintained NUC from before 1989 (B&B) or 1986 (TVU). No new registrations are available in residential zones.
As of February 18, 2026, initial registration is $1,000. Annual renewal is $500. NUC renewals are also $500.
Still have questions about Oahu Airbnb rules?
Check out this excellent FAQ from the Honolulu Department of Planning & Permitting (DPP).
