A new registration requirement for vacation rentals in Hawaii County went into effect last week as part of the implementation of rules established in June 2025 under Ordinance 25-50, aimed at regulating short-term rental properties on the island.

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A new registration requirement for vacation rentals in Hawaii County went into effect last week as part of the implementation of rules established in June 2025 under Ordinance 25-50, aimed at regulating short-term rental properties on the island.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2026, owners of both hosted and un-hosted transient vacation rentals (TVRs) — defined as rentals of 180 days or less — are required to register their properties with the county through an online portal.

Following the passage of Bill 175 by the County Council last Wednesday, the registration period will remain open until the end of this year, providing a grace period for owners to comply with the requirement.

Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball, who introduced the bill, said that the goal of the extended timeline is to encourage compliance.

“We’re hopeful that, given that folks will have four months to register, everybody that is operating a transient vacation rental, whether it’s hosted or un-hosted, will be registered within our system by the end of the year,” Kimball said after the meeting.

The opening of the registration period comes amidst ongoing efforts by the council to clarify and amend legislation regulating TVRs, including the language used to reference them.

Bill 147, also introduced by Kimball and discussed during last Tuesday’s meeting of the Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Economic Development, would place TVRs into two categories — hosted and un-hosted — and label them as Bed and Breakfasts and Short-Term Vacation rentals respectively.

“A short-term vacation rental is proposed to be an un-hosted rental where there’s nobody living on site that uses the dwelling as their primary residence, and that is rented for a period of less than 180 days,” Kimball said. “On the other hand, a bed and breakfast is a hosted rental that has somebody that is either the owner or a host that lives on site during rental operations, and the dwelling serves as their primary residence.”

Other aspects of Bill 147 include removing the requirement of a use permit for B&Bs that meet certain standards, expanding zoning districts where STVRs are permitted, establishing management standards and punitive fines as well as the creation of an enforcement fund — as well as several other proposed amendments.

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Hilo resident Joy Dillon testified at last Tuesday’s committee meeting, expressing worry that this language would cause additional confusion along with other concerns about the bill.

“The term B&B is not used in Ordinance 25-50, so to implement it now in Bill 147 will confuse both the public and property owners who wish to rent a portion of their homes, as well as those who do utilize short-term rentals…” she said. “My second strongest objection to the current bill is the proposed penalties for violations, which are punitive… Registration for short-term rentals starts today, and still the county and the public are at odds with terminology, zoning inclusions, and other issues with the bill.”

The committee voted to defer further discussion and action on the bill to the Sept. 15 meeting, following a suggestion from Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz, to allow more time for council members to better understand its implications.

“There are a lot of impacts on community with whatever kinds of decisions are made on this bill…” she said. “I think folks would just like a little bit of a brain break to digest all of the information that’s been shared today, to hear how the registration process is going, to dive into each of these amendments, and engage with their constituents a bit further.”

An additional TVR-related proposal, Bill 173, which would have created a separate tax class for B&Bs — allowing these properties to be taxed at a different rate than STVRs and other residential and commercial properties — failed Wednesday at the full council meeting.

While the same legislation cannot be reintroduced in this council term, Kimball said she does plan to bring forward a bill in October focused on one element from 173 that would provide amnesty to TVR operators who may not have been in compliance, but come forward to align their properties with the requirements.

“I’m hopeful that I can get the support from my colleagues to just do the amnesty period,” she said. “It seemed like the hesitation from some of my colleagues was really around creating an additional tax class when we already have so many.”

The registration portal for TVRs and more information about the requirements can be found at: www.hawaiicountytar.com/.

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Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].