Honolulu, Hawaii Short-Term Rental Market
Honolulu restricts short-term rentals to resort zones, with September 2026 ADR $258, 69.2% occupancy, $4,988 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Honolulu, Hawaii is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 69%. average monthly revenue is $4,988. average daily rate is $258. the top operator in Honolulu is Gather Vacations with 271 listings. market score is 92/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Oahu regional market, which includes Honolulu. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Honolulu.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Honolulu is a restricted short-term rental market, so the figures below describe the registered and grandfathered supply that operates in resort-zoned areas and under Nonconforming Use Certificates. Data runs through September 2026. In that month the average daily rate across all listings was $258, occupancy was 69.2%, and the average listing earned $4,988 in revenue. Compared with September 2025, occupancy is up 1.6%, ADR is up 0.7%, and revenue is up 0.2%, so the market is growing slowly rather than sharply.
The Honolulu area STR market is dominated by whole-unit rentals. Of the tracked listings, 10,674 are entire places, 458 are private rooms, and 6 are shared rooms, which puts entire places at about 95.8% of supply. By bedroom count, 1 bedroom units lead with 7,279 listings, followed by 2 bedrooms at 2,048, 3 bedrooms at 977, 4 bedrooms at 443, and 5 bedrooms at 307. On distribution, 5,066 listings are on Airbnb, 1,134 are on Vrbo, and 4,938 appear on both platforms.
Demand rests on tourism. Oahu drew 5.81 million visitors in 2024, up 3.6% from 2023, which is about 60% of all Hawaii arrivals. Visitors come mainly from the U.S. mainland, especially the West Coast, with Japan, Canada, and Korea leading the international markets. The typical visitor stays roughly 8 to 9 days, and the Hawaii Convention Center adds a meetings and convention segment. The city itself has a population of 344,967.
Annual performance has been steady. Average occupancy was 74.4% in 2025 with an ADR of $293, and 2026 year to date shows 74.8% occupancy at a $294 ADR. StaySTRA’s market score for Honolulu is 92.43 overall, with seasonality scoring 98.14 and rental demand 86.59, while regulation scores 68.45 and investability 67.69.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 73% |
| Feb | 78% |
| Mar | 73% |
| Apr | 68% |
| May | 72% |
| Jun | 76% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 72% |
| Sep | 67% |
| Oct | 68% |
| Nov | 68% |
| Dec | 74% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Honolulu are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Honolulu
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gather Vacations | 271 | 3,131 | ★ 4.84 |
| 2 | Captain Cook Resorts | 225 | 17,467 | ★ 4.72 |
| 3 | Hawaii American Realty | 221 | 13,445 | ★ 4.58 |
| 4 | Midway Vacations | 188 | 11,562 | ★ 4.73 |
| 5 | Hawaii Home Properties LLC | 181 | 10,178 | ★ 4.77 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Honolulu?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Honolulu are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 45.5% |
| vrbo | 10.2% |
| both | 44.3% |
Home Value Trends (Honolulu)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Honolulu are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Honolulu — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Honolulu heavily restricts short-term rentals, and enforcement is rated strict. The City and County of Honolulu covers all of Oahu. Short-term rentals are permitted, but a permit is required: either a Short-Term Rental Registration through the Department of Planning and Permitting or a grandfathered Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC). Initial registration is about $1,000 with an annual renewal, and the profile lists roughly $500 for annual renewal of both registrations and NUCs.
Zoning is the main constraint. Legal transient rentals of under 30 or 90 days are largely confined to resort-zoned districts such as Waikiki, Ko Olina, and Turtle Bay, or to properties holding an NUC. The City stopped issuing new NUCs in 1990, and new transient vacation units are prohibited in most residential and apartment zoning districts. Bed-and-breakfast home permits with a host on site are a separate, limited category.
Ordinance 22-7 (Bill 41, 2022) set a 90-day minimum outside resort areas, but federal courts enjoined it, so the City currently enforces a 30-day minimum for lawful nonconforming properties. Bill 62 (CO-25-02), signed in January 2025 with a September 2025 effective date, again attempts a 90-day minimum and raises penalties to up to $5,000, escalating to $10,000 per day for continued violations. It faces the same legal challenge.
Lodging is taxed at the combined Transient Accommodations Tax of 13.25% in 2025 (10.25% state plus 3% Oahu), with the combined rate scheduled to rise to about 14% on January 1, 2026, plus a General Excise Tax of about 4.712% on Oahu. A new green fee lodging surcharge was also scheduled. Verify current rules with the City before buying.
Market Comparison
In September 2026 Honolulu ran at 69.2% occupancy and a $258 ADR. Revenue per listing of $4,988 reflects that combination of volume and rate.
The premium comes with a regulatory cost that most US markets do not impose. Supply is limited to resort-zoned districts and grandfathered NUC properties, which supports occupancy and rates but restricts who can enter.
Professional operators hold a notable share of supply in the Honolulu area. The five largest by listing count are Gather Vacations (271 listings, 4.8 rating), Captain Cook Resorts (225 listings, 4.7), Hawaii American Realty (221 listings, 4.6), Midway Vacations (188 listings, 4.7), and Hawaii Home Properties LLC (181 listings, 4.8). Together they manage 1,086 listings. Captain Cook Resorts has the most reviews at 17,467, followed by Hawaii American Realty at 13,445.
Investors should weigh the 7.7% gross yield against a typical home value of $767,860 and the strict enforcement environment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Honolulu, Hawaii
Are short-term rentals legal in Honolulu?
How much does an Airbnb earn in Honolulu?
What is the gross rental yield in Honolulu?
What are the best and worst months for Honolulu short-term rentals?
What permit do I need to run a short-term rental in Honolulu?
What taxes apply to Honolulu short-term rentals?
How far ahead do guests book in Honolulu?
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