Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green has signed a pivotal piece of legislation, SB 2919, empowering local governments to effectively regulate short-term rentals. This law aims to preserve community integrity and ensure housing remains affordable for local residents, particularly those employed in the hospitality sector.
The legislation authorizes Hawai‘i counties to implement the same tax and regulatory standards on short-term rentals as are applied to hotels. It also allows them to classify these rentals as non-residential for zoning purposes or even restrict their operation altogether.
Kevin Carey, AHLA Interim President & CEO, highlighted the detrimental impact of illegal short-term rentals on local communities. He noted that such rentals have made homeownership increasingly unaffordable for many, including hotel workers.
“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 Hawai‘i residents who work in hotels. 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,” said Kevin Carey.
“We thank Gov. Green, Hawai‘i legislators, and our partners at the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, UNITE HERE Local 5, and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142 for their leadership in passing this important law.”
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands, 80% of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward.
