Hawaii County may give unregistered short-term rentals four-month grace period

Hawaii County may give short-term rental owners who never registered with the county four months to come into compliance before enforcement tightens. The proposal would affect operators across Hawaii Island who have been running rentals outside the county’s registration system, the step used to identify who is operating, where the units are, and whether required fees, taxes and local rules are being followed.

The grace period would come on top of Bill 47, the overhaul the Hawaii County Council passed in 2025 and Mayor Kim signed into law on June 23, 2025. The measure takes effect Dec. 20, 2025, covers rentals lasting less than 180 consecutive days, and for the first time applies to both hosted and unhosted short-term vacation rentals. Hawaii Public Radio reported in June 2025 that the council advanced the vacation-rental bill to seek more oversight, signaling a broader push to bring the county’s transient-accommodation market under tighter control.

County Planning already directs the public to a short-term vacation rentals resource page that includes registration, requests for a street address or street name, code-violation complaints and public comments on applications. That gives the county a paper trail for enforcement and gives neighbors a place to flag properties that appear to be operating without approval. Airbnb’s Hawaii County host guidance also points users back to county agencies and tells hosts to understand local laws and consult legal or tax professionals when questions come up.

A four-month delay could give owners time to register before penalties land, but it would also leave compliant operators competing with listings that may not have met the same rules. On an island where short-term rentals sit at the intersection of tourism, housing availability and neighborhood character, the county’s credibility will hinge on whether the grace period produces real compliance or only postpones the same enforcement problem.