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Honolulu can fine Airbnb, Vrbo for illegal vacation rentals. It never has
Affordable Housing Ben Angarone 5/13/25 Affordable Housing Ben Angarone 5/13/25

Honolulu can fine Airbnb, Vrbo for illegal vacation rentals. It never has

Like other tourist destinations, Honolulu passed a law to hold booking platforms accountable for illegal listings. But the city hasn’t cited any company, even as illegal rentals flourish.

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Short term rentals, long term issues for Hawaiʻi County
Affordable Housing Amee Hiʻilawe Neves 9/1/24 Affordable Housing Amee Hiʻilawe Neves 9/1/24

Short term rentals, long term issues for Hawaiʻi County

According to an analysis by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, one in 24 homes on Hawaiʻi Island are short term rentals – 52% of which are owned by non-Hawaiʻi residents.

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Proposed short-term rental rules on Big Island met with overwhelming opposition
Affordable Housing Nathan Christophel 1/26/24 Affordable Housing Nathan Christophel 1/26/24

Proposed short-term rental rules on Big Island met with overwhelming opposition

The county’s first attempt to regulate short-term rentals was in November 2018 with the passage of Bill 108, which included some recommendations from a March 2018 Hawai‘i Appleseed report.

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County Council forwards proposed changes to short-term rental regulations to planning commissions, director
Affordable Housing Nathan Christophel 1/24/24 Affordable Housing Nathan Christophel 1/24/24

County Council forwards proposed changes to short-term rental regulations to planning commissions, director

The county’s first attempt to regulate these short-term rentals included recommendations from a 2018 Hawai‘i Appleseed report that provided an overview of impacts from the rentals on the state’s housing market.

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Big Island lawmakers attempt to rein in short-term vacation rentals
Affordable Housing Paula Dobbyn 1/23/24 Affordable Housing Paula Dobbyn 1/23/24

Big Island lawmakers attempt to rein in short-term vacation rentals

Supporters say new limits are needed to increase the island's affordable housing stock, while opponents fear negative economic consequences.

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Is it unethical to vacation in Hawaiʻi?
Affordable Housing Janet Nguyen 10/11/23 Affordable Housing Janet Nguyen 10/11/23

Is it unethical to vacation in Hawaiʻi?

Despite the economic revenue that the tourism industry generates, Native Hawaiians point out that residents aren’t partaking in those profits.

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One year later: The effects of Hawaiʻi’s illegal short-term rental ban
Affordable Housing, Taxes & Budget Don Wallace 10/8/20 Affordable Housing, Taxes & Budget Don Wallace 10/8/20

One year later: The effects of Hawaiʻi’s illegal short-term rental ban

Illegal vacation rentals have worsened Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing shortage while contributing to an overrun of high-impact, low-spending visitors.

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Hawaiʻi weighs measures to curb Airbnb
Affordable Housing Maria Lenhart 5/6/19 Affordable Housing Maria Lenhart 5/6/19

Hawaiʻi weighs measures to curb Airbnb

Sky-high housing prices and limited land make the negative impact of short-term rentals in Hawaiʻi especially acute. Regulatory measures may provide some relief.

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Top 10 cities where vacation rentals rake in the most cash
Affordable Housing Lance Lambert 4/22/19 Affordable Housing Lance Lambert 4/22/19

Top 10 cities where vacation rentals rake in the most cash

The short-term rental business has experienced 97% growth in America’s 100 largest cities over the past three years, totaling more than 360,000 active rentals.

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Short-term rental regulation advances at Honolulu Hale
Affordable Housing Ryan Finnerty 4/18/19 Affordable Housing Ryan Finnerty 4/18/19

Short-term rental regulation advances at Honolulu Hale

On Wednesday, the Honolulu City Council held a public hearing on the latest proposals to rein in Oʻahu’s vacation accommodations, like those rented on Airbnb.

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Right moves on vacation rentals
Affordable Housing Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 3/24/19 Affordable Housing Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 3/24/19

Right moves on vacation rentals

It’s encouraging that the Honolulu City Council Planning Committee put forward a bill that aims to rein in the vacation rental industry’s presence here.

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Short-term vacation rentals on Oʻahu could soon be regulated
Affordable Housing KITV4 Web Staff 3/18/19 Affordable Housing KITV4 Web Staff 3/18/19

Short-term vacation rentals on Oʻahu could soon be regulated

A 2018 report from Hawaiʻi Appleseed stated more than 80 percent of short term vacation rentals in Hawaiʻi are not owner-occupied.

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A grand bargain on vacation rentals
Affordable Housing Victor Geminiani 3/10/19 Affordable Housing Victor Geminiani 3/10/19

A grand bargain on vacation rentals

The Honolulu City Council will begin a historic discussion to resolve the frictions fueled by the spectacular expansion of illegal short-term rentals on Oʻahu.

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Who really benefits from illegal vacation rentals?
Affordable Housing Isaiah Feldman-Schwartz 2/24/19 Affordable Housing Isaiah Feldman-Schwartz 2/24/19

Who really benefits from illegal vacation rentals?

Will we prioritize investors’ ability to wring profits out of their second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) homes, or will we preserve our neighborhoods for the benefit of those who actually live in them? The choice is ours.

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City council debates fate of Oʻahu's short term rentals
Affordable Housing Paul Drewes 1/22/19 Affordable Housing Paul Drewes 1/22/19

City council debates fate of Oʻahu's short term rentals

The council planning committee heard seven bills that would drastically change the fees, fines and enforcement on thousands of Oʻahu short-term rentals.

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Addicted to Airbnb: Hawaiʻi’s tourism economy depends on illegal vacation rentals
Affordable Housing Stewart Yerton 1/2/19 Affordable Housing Stewart Yerton 1/2/19

Addicted to Airbnb: Hawaiʻi’s tourism economy depends on illegal vacation rentals

While calls for a crackdown on short-term rentals grow louder, their rapid expansion accounts for a big chunk of the recent growth in the state’s largest industry.

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Is housing sacrificed to attract more tourists?
Affordable Housing Paul Migliorato 12/28/18 Affordable Housing Paul Migliorato 12/28/18

Is housing sacrificed to attract more tourists?

One gets little sense that there is a plan behind Hawaiʻi’s tourism growth beyond sustaining it.

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Council must be forceful to reduce illegal short-term rentals
Affordable Housing Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 12/9/18 Affordable Housing Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 12/9/18

Council must be forceful to reduce illegal short-term rentals

The Honolulu City Council must push forward for the sake of establishing a balance between collecting taxes owed and deterring further illegal vacation rentals.

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Policing Hawaiʻi’s illegal vacation rentals
Affordable Housing Noelle Fujii-Oride 12/3/18 Affordable Housing Noelle Fujii-Oride 12/3/18

Policing Hawaiʻi’s illegal vacation rentals

Honolulu’s weak law makes it hard to crack down on illegal vacation rentals, but a new law is in the works.

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Appleseed Center urges tough vacation rental rules
Affordable Housing Andrew Gomes 11/25/18 Affordable Housing Andrew Gomes 11/25/18

Appleseed Center urges tough vacation rental rules

Hawaiʻi Appleseed released a report Monday as the city council prepares again to debate a bill addressing the issue after years of public frustration.

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