RealHNL · Investor Guide · Updated October 2026
Where you can legally rent nightly on Oʻahu
Only a small set of buildings and communities on the island allow stays shorter than 30 days. This guide lists all 42 of them, how each one qualifies, and what to check before you buy.
Call Jack · 808.388.8167 Email for current listingsThree ways a unit qualifies
Hotel building with a front desk
Built and run as a hotel, or a grandfathered nonconforming hotel. Taxed in the Hotel & Resort class. No city STR registration needed.
Resort-zoned or city-approved
Resort Mixed Use zoning or a DPP ruling allows nightly rentals. Taxed as Transient Vacation. Owners generally register the unit with DPP, and the registration does not transfer when the unit sells.
Nonconforming Use Certificate
Apartment-zoned buildings where only specific units hold a NUC. No new NUCs have been issued since 1990, and a lapsed one is gone for good. The NUC stays with the unit on resale.
Waikīkī · 34 buildings
Resort-zoned towers, grandfathered hotels and a few NUC buildings.
Ilikai Apartments
Studio–2BR · ~500–1,000 sf · Fee simple
Hotel desk on site. One of the few Waikiki condos with beach access without crossing a street.
Ka Laʻi Waikiki Beach
Studio–3BR · Fee simple
Formerly Trump Tower Waikiki (renamed 2024). Hotel program plus a few approved third-party managers.
Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki
Studio–3BR · Fee simple
Hotel program plus a few approved third-party managers.
Luana Waikiki
Studio–1BR · Fee simple
Full kitchens in the 1BRs only.
Pacific Monarch
Studio–1BR · Fee simple, a few leasehold
Rooftop pool. Full kitchens in the 1BRs only.
Regency on Beachwalk
1–2BR · Fee simple
Full kitchens throughout.
Bamboo Waikiki
Studio–1BR · Fee simple
Only a handful of units have full kitchens, which limits financing.
Waikiki Grand Hotel
Studios · Fee simple, a few leasehold
Some units have kitchens; very few have parking.
Aloha Surf Hotel
Studios ~180–390 sf · Fee simple
Grandfathered hotel. No full kitchens, so expect mostly cash buyers.
Hawaiian Monarch
Studio–1BR · Fee simple & leasehold
Grandfathered hotel. The on-site hotel manages only its own rooms, so owners use outside managers.
Island Colony
Studio–1BR · Mostly fee simple
Nightly renting requires a license agreement with Island Colony Partners and Hotel & Resort tax classification.
Palms at Waikiki
Studio–1BR · Fee simple
Grandfathered hotel. Governing documents bar the homeowner exemption.
Royal Garden at Waikiki
Studio–3BR · Fee simple
Mostly timeshare; roughly 68 individually owned condo units.
Imperial Hawaii Resort
Studio–3BR · Leasehold (to 2052)
Only about eight non-timeshare units in the building.
Hawaiian King
1BR · Leasehold (to 2036)
DPP recognized as a grandfathered hotel in December 2023.
Inn on the Park
Studios · Leasehold (to 2035)
DPP recognized as a grandfathered hotel in August 2024. No full kitchens.
Waikiki Beach Tower
2BR ~1,000–1,100 sf · Fee simple & leasehold
Resort zoned with an optional hotel rental program.
Waikiki Shore
Studio–2BR · Fee simple
The only condo directly on Waikiki Beach. Several rental operators on site.
Waikiki Banyan
1BR · Mostly fee simple
Grandfathered hotel with a hotel program. Non-NUC units need DPP registration, renewed yearly.
Waikiki Sunset
1–2BR · Fee simple & leasehold
Grandfathered hotel with a hotel program. Non-NUC units need DPP registration, renewed yearly.
Ilikai Marina
Studio–1BR · Fee simple
Beach access; no hotel desk.
2465 Kuhio at Waikiki
2BR · Fee simple
The association removed its rental restrictions in 2019.
Cabana at Waikiki
1BR ~365 sf · Fee simple
No hotel desk; owner or third-party managed.
Kalakauan
1BR · Mostly fee simple
House rules defer to the zoning.
Kuhio Village
Studio–1BR · Tower 1 fee simple, Tower 2 leasehold
No full kitchens.
Marine Surf Waikiki
Studios · Fee simple
Every unit comes with a parking stall.
Niihau Apartments
1–3BR · Fee simple
No hotel desk; owner or third-party managed.
Royal Aloha
1–2BR · Leasehold (to 2041)
Resort zoned. Community laundry on each floor.
Seashore
Studios · Mostly fee simple
No hotel desk; owner or third-party managed.
Tradewinds Plaza
Studios · Mostly fee simple
Resort zoned. Building rules restrict lockboxes, so plan guest check-in.
Royal Kuhio
1–3BR · Mainly leasehold
Fewer than 65 NUC units. All other units are 30-day minimum.
Waikiki Marina Condominium
Studios · Mostly fee simple
Fewer than 60 NUC units. The neighboring hotel manages NUC units only.
Four Paddle
Studio–1BR · Fee simple
Fewer than 20 NUC units.
444 Nahua
Studio–1BR · Mostly fee simple
Fewer than 30 NUC units.
Diamond Head · 1 building
One grandfathered hotel on the Gold Coast.
Diamond Head Beach Hotel
Studio–2BR · Leasehold (to 2032)
The only grandfathered hotel on the Gold Coast, across from Kapiʻolani Park.
Ala Moana & Downtown · 3 buildings
Hotel-run condos outside Waikīkī.
Ala Moana Hotel Condo
Studio–2BR · Fee simple
Owners cannot occupy full-time. Most units lack full kitchens.
Renaissance Residences Honolulu
Studio–2BR · Fee simple · Built 2023
Sky Ala Moana East tower with a Marriott-branded hotel program.
Executive Centre
Studio–2BR · Mainly leasehold · Downtown
Only units in the hotel group may rent nightly, and some owners have been cited. Get a DPP letter on the specific unit.
Ko Olina, North Shore & Mākaha · 4 communities
The resort areas outside Honolulu.
Beach Villas at Ko Olina
Ko Olina · Fee simple · Built 2007
The only Ko Olina condo allowing stays under 30 days. Other Ko Olina communities are 30-day minimum.
Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay
North Shore · Resort zoned
Allowed unless the unit was dedicated to residential use.
Kuilima Estates East & West
North Shore · Townhomes · Gated
DPP declaratory ruling (Feb 2020) allows nightly rentals. Each unit registers with DPP.
Cottages at Mauna ʻOlu
Mākaha · 118 single-family homes (CPR) · Gated
Resort zoned. The only single-family community on Oʻahu where every home may rent nightly.
Before you buy, verify the unit, not just the building
Residential dedication. A unit dedicated to residential use for the lower tax rate cannot rent short-term. Check the tax class with the Real Property Assessment Division.
House rules. Building rules that set a 30-day minimum override the zoning. Read the bylaws and house rules before writing an offer.
Registration or NUC status. Confirm the NUC is current, or budget for a new DPP registration after closing. A missed renewal is permanent.
Get it in writing. A DPP clarification letter on the specific unit is cheap protection when a building's status has ever been questioned.
Financing. Most condotel lenders require a full kitchen and about 30% down on a portfolio loan.
Rental taxes. 4.5% GET, 11% state TAT and 3% Oʻahu TAT apply to nightly stays. Display your tax ID and STR or NUC number in every ad.
Everywhere else on Oʻahu, stays under 30 days are not allowed, and many properties outside resort areas face a 90-day minimum.
Compiled October 2026 from City & County of Honolulu DPP guidance and published building research. Zoning, building rules and tax rates change, and status can differ unit to unit. This guide is not legal or tax advice; verify every unit with DPP, the association and your own advisors before purchase.
LISTINGS
3 Beds3 Baths1,312 SqFt1/10 10New
3 Beds3 Baths1,183 SqFt1/15 15Active Under Contract
3 Beds1 Bath1,040 SqFt1/14 14Active
