Hosting in Hawaii

Team-Taylor0
Level 2
Ewa Beach, HI

Hosting in Hawaii

My wife and I have been using Airbnb for extra money and to provide great service to our guests. For the last few weeks, we haven't gotten one booking.  Usually we book up fairly quick. Our views are up, but the actual bookings are down.  We have put our listing on other sites, even visited Seattle and handed out business cards. We have been getting 5 star ratings for the last 5 months and have been Super Hosts the entire time we have been doing Airbnb. I won't to know is there something in Hawaii that is blocking people from booking. Is there a new policy in Hawaii about short term rentals? 

11 Replies 11
Team-Taylor0
Level 2
Ewa Beach, HI

My wife and I stay in a new build in Ewa Beach and we have been Airbnb hosting for almost a year now.  The other day one of our neighbors harassed one of our guests stating that "AirBnB'rs" are not allowd in our area.  I haven't found any documentation on this.  Can you provide some information hosting restriction in Hawaii

@Team-Taylor0, I did a search for your listing and found it easily, so I guess that isn't the issue.

(You were #23 of 149 in Ewa Beach).

You seem to be priced competitively. It isn't that your listing is a Private Room, because nearly half the listings in Ewa Beach are Private Rooms.

Such a mystery. Have you conferred with any of your neighboring AirBnB hosts to see if they have seen any change in their bookings recently? I know it might feel they are the competition, but there is a lot to gain from working together.

Also, have there been any new housing developments completed recently? (Meaning are there a lot of new listings or even hotels recently completed and on the market now that weren't there before?)

 

Bookings have started picking up, thank you Matthew 

@Team-Taylor0, well then that makes me very happy!

(We don't have any emoticons here, do we?)

(I wanted to insert a dancing happy face, or something.)

 

Not that i know of, but i have another issue.  I'm being told that we are not allowed to host in our area.  

@Team-Taylor0, I saw that post, but since it was a reply I didn't notice it was also from you.

If sounds like the situation on Oahu for Short Term Rentals (STR) is similar to what we went through a few years ago in San Francisco (where AirBnB is based).

I did a little bit of reading about the topic. Being aware that I knew nothing about STRs on Oahu 15 minutes ago, here's my impression:

  1. You can read the law as saying you shouldn't be doing STR unless you have a NUC (nonconforming use certificate), although I am not clear on what units or areas that applies to.
  2. As a practical matter, no one is enforcing this.
  3. The exception is this: if a neighbor is upset, and goes to the correct government agency and makes enough noise and bother, the government might try to do something about it.
  4. The lawmakers are working on providing some clarity by passing new legislation that specifically addresses STR. No one knows when that will happen or what the law will say.

The takeaway for hosts: it is in everyone's best interests to have a good relationship with your neighbors.

 

If you are confronted by an upset neighbor, it is probably best not to argue with them about the rights/wrongs/legality of AirBnB.

Concentrate on finding out specifically what about the situation is upsetting them. (Noisy kids, someone leaving trash on their property, people in the pool who shouldn't be there, cars parking where they shouldn't) Hopefully it is something you can sympathize with and fix.

Because while you can't do much about the legal status of AirBnB hosts, you CAN help your neighbor feel like you hear their complaint, you acknowledge what they are saying, and you are fixing the problem.

And that hopefully will keep everyone happy.

 

Join we have went as far to build a parking spot for our guests.  Our guests understand that we live in a quiet neighborhood. We have never had quests that were noisy. Small kids have yet to stay with us but they are coming. The nieghbors just don't want short term renters in their neighborhood. 

I rented for 14 years in Ewa Beach, the neighborhood was the most challenging.  It's a tough area

Rene-and-Zac0
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

@Matthew285 @Team-Taylor0 Hawaii is a cesspool of political corruption. The big unions run the elected officials like puppets. The construction trades unions have such a strangle hold on Hawaii that you can’t even legally install a toilet without a licensed contractor. The Hotel unions now want the threat of short term rental gone and they will get it. As far as enforcement goes, you are absolutely right, it will be all complaint generated and it will not be enforced equally. Enforcement will start with Haole families first and then the very last will be the connected Anties and uncos. When they get to their Antie’s Rental, everything will be ok and it will be explained as a misunderstanding and they get a “da kine” stamp.

On the Big Island they use code enforcement and building inspectors to do the jackboots work. 

It’s so heavily taxed and regulated, I’m reconsidering a plan I have for a 15k square foot lot of land I have there. 

Im glad your bookings are up. I also updated a few pics to my listing and I noticed my placed jumped up a few notches. Realistically, I don’t have much inventory to sell, so I can see why my listing has dropped.  When I have more inventory in a few months, I expect to be ranked in the top five spots. Good Luck

’You know it’s hard out here for a Host’

Very true and well put.

Shohreh1
Level 2
Morgan Hill, CA

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Is there any one interested to SWAP their home for mine if you like visit bay area, any time of year from 7/15/2021 to whatever time and day in future. If  you like, I will  lock my listing for you , my home is near for San Francisco , San Jose only 15 , minutes  away.   3 bedroom and 3 bathroom, 2 showers, good for 8 people, AC , pool, hot tub...and lots more ........

Please check , Morgan Hill, CA 95037.  "Sherry 2 rooms for 4 people" . there is more than 30 pictures and all amenities. if you interested please let me know.