City council debates fate of Oʻahu's short term rentals

Bill 85 would set aside a certain amount of funding each year, and earmark money from fines toward the investigation and enforcement of the pervasive problem of illegal rentals. 

The city council has already authorized funding for another 10 inspectors for the Dept. of Planning and Permitting. Instead of having additional inspectors look at individual homes, some who testified felt enforcement of our laws would be most effective focused on-line at the advertising of short term rentals. 

“We've spent months looking at research, and found that platform liability and platform transparency are the only ways to enforce vacation rental laws,” said Will Caron, communications director for Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice.