Regulation of short-term rentals in Hawai‘i County continues to be a pressing issue as discussions advance with the community. An online informational briefing via Zoom is scheduled for April 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will be co-hosted by Hawai‘i County Council members Heather Kimball and Ashley Kierkiewicz.
The session aims to provide community members with detailed information about proposed county legislation intended to establish a registration process for hosted transient vacation rentals—including platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo—across the Big Island.
The intent of the proposed legislation is to better understand the scale and presence of short-term vacation rentals within the region and to ensure compliance with legal regulations.
Interested participants must register in advance online to receive a unique Zoom login, where they can also access a draft of the proposed legislation for public review.
The focus of this proposed registration legislation is exclusively on hosting platforms and hosted transient vacation rentals, along with their operational status.
Unhosted short-term vacation rentals, which have already been registered with the county, will not be subject to this new initial registration process but will require annual renewal.
Feedback from community members and Hawai‘i County Council representatives about past attempts to address short-term rentals heavily informed the development of the proposed registration rule.
This initiative builds upon the council’s adoption in July 2024 of Resolution 556, which tasked the Hawai‘i County Department of Research and Development with conducting an economic impact analysis of vacation rentals on Hawai‘i Island.
For the analysis, Research and Development contracted the Chicago-based firm Hunden Partners, known for their expertise in conducting similar studies.
Heather Kimball remarked, “It was clear from our past work on Bill 121 that we were trying to accomplish too much with one bill and we also needed more information for certain aspects of it.
Creating this registration process, in combination with the study, will help the council make more informed decisions about any future legislation regarding where transient vacation rentals are permitted and any changes to operational standards.”
Bill 121, part of a broader three-measure package introduced last year by Kimball and Kierkiewicz, faced significant backlash from the community.
This controversial bill aimed to establish new definitions and rules for owner-hosted, operator-hosted, and unhosted transient accommodation rentals, in addition to regulations for hosting platforms.
The overall objectives of the bill were to ensure that all transient accommodation rentals within the county were registered and that they operated safely while adhering to the same standards.
After prolonged discussions throughout 2024 and numerous amendments, the measure was ultimately shelved by council members during a committee meeting last November as they decided to postpone any decisions regarding the bill.
During this week’s Zoom briefing, Kimball and Kierkiewicz will provide an overview of the proposed legislation, discuss timelines, and outline the scope of the ongoing Research and Development study.
Community members are encouraged to share their insights on the issue via surveys designed for residents and for hosted and unhosted transient vacation rental operators.
The responses obtained from these surveys will clarify the current landscape of transient vacation rentals and inform future policies and legislation in Hawai‘i County.
image source from：https://bigislandnow.com/2025/04/13/community-invited-to-briefing-about-proposed-registration-process-for-short-term-vacation-rentals/
