by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Sat May 4, 2024
On Friday, Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed into law
landmark legislation (SB 2919) that grants local governments the power to regulate
short-term rentals to meet the needs of their communities.
The legislation provides localities the power to rein in
short-term rentals that have taken over local communities and bring back
affordable housing for hotel employees and other permanent residents in Hawaii.
“For too long, illegal short-term rentals have encroached
into residential neighborhoods and put homeownership out of reach for
hard-working families, including the thousands of Hawaii residents who work in
hotels,” AHLA Interim President and CEO Kevin Carey said.
“AHLA has worked hand-in-hand with community partners and
the government to support commonsense regulation that ensures hotel employees
and all residents can afford to live where they work, and this critical law
will help achieve that outcome,” Carey continued.
As part of the new law, counties across the Hawaiian Islands
now have the authority to tax and regulate short-term rentals by the same
standards as hotels, designate them as non-residential use for zoning purposes,
or restrict their operation.
“We thank Gov. Green, Hawaii legislators, and our partners
at the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, UNITE HERE Local 5, and the International
Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142 for their leadership in passing this
important law,” Carey concluded.
In January, Governor Green delivered his second State of the
State Address at the Hawaii State Capitol, addressing concerns about short-term
rentals and reducing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels with a proposal
for charging tourists a new $25 fee.
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