Vacation rental laws in Waikiki, HI

[Sagi Hassin]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are planning on buying our first property as a vacation rental in Waikiki. Having lived on Oahu for the past year, we are excited for this venture.

Knowing that there are many complexities in the law, we were wondering if anyone had any experience/knowledge on how to do this legally. We are having a bit of a tough time decoding the different zoning laws and regulations.

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Sagi

[Kinohi Larey]

Hi there Sagi! My wife and I help host and co-host Airbnbs in Waikiki. From first hand experience I can tell you that there is great potential in Waikiki for high returns in the short term rental market. You just have to know what to look for, and how to run your vacation rental correctly.

There are specific buildings in Waikiki that allow STRs. I have a list and can provide that info for you if you’d like. My brother in law recently purchased a unit in a short term approved building and he is on pace to make very good returns this year.

Also, many of the Airbnb’s and VRBOs in Waikiki are not presented effectively. In other words, many owners might not be making great returns because of the hosting/managing aspect, not because of the property or market itself. (Ex: Bad photos, weak descriptions, bad guest communication leading to poor reviews, etc.)
So because of that, I would say choosing good management could be crucial to your receiving a high ROI.

Hope that helps! Message me if you wanted any more info.