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Hawaii · Hilo

Hilo

city Restricted Needs review · last verified 2026-07-15

Hilo is an unincorporated census-designated place (the county seat) in the County of Hawai'i; it has NO city-level STR ordinance and is governed entirely by Hawai'i County law. Two overlapping county regimes apply. (1) ZONING (in force): Hawai'i County Code Chapter 25, §25-4-16 (added by Bill 108 / Ordinance 18-114, effective April 1, 2019) defines a "short-term vacation rental" (STVR) as a non-owner-occupied dwelling with up to five bedrooms for rent, rented for 30 consecutive days or less. STVRs are PERMITTED ONLY in the V (Resort-Hotel), CG and CV commercial districts; in residential/commercial parcels situated in General Plan Resort and Resort Node areas; and in RM-district condominium units. Most of Hilo's residential/agricultural neighborhoods are NOT in those areas, so new whole-home STVRs there are prohibited unless grandfathered. Existing STVRs operating outside a permitted district before April 1, 2019 could continue only by obtaining an annually-renewed Short-Term Vacation Rental Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC) and registering by September 30, 2019 — the NUC path is closed to units that were not operating by that date. All permitted/grandfathered STVRs must register with the Planning Department (one-time $500 fee), keep State GET + TAT licenses and County property taxes current, and maintain an on-island "reachable" owner/operator (respond by phone within 1 hour, be physically present within 3 hours). (2) NEW TVR REGISTRATION OVERLAY: Bill 47 / Ordinance 25-50 (signed June 25, 2025, published July 11, 2025), as amended by Bill 98 / Ordinance 25-92 (passed Dec. 24, 2025) which pushed the effective/registration date to July 1, 2026, requires ALL transient vacation rentals county-wide to register annually with the County (fees reported as $250 hosted / $500 unhosted, with annual renewals; up to a $10,000 fine for failing to register). Hosted rentals require the owner's principal residence on the same property; unhosted/operator-hosted units remain limited to commercial and hotel-resort areas. As of mid-2026 the county registration portal (hawaiicountytar.com) was still being built. Taxes: Hawai'i State TAT 10.25% + County of Hawai'i TAT (HCTAT) 3% + GET 4% plus 0.5% Hawai'i County GET surcharge (4.5% total).

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • county Short-Term Vacation Rental Registration (HCC Chapter 25, Sec. 25-4-16) Required
    Fee: $500 / one-time · Renewal: None under the original STVR ordinance (one-time). Supplemented by a new ANNUAL TVR registration under Ordinance 25-50 (see separate requirement). · Applies to: Any short-term vacation rental located in (or grandfathered into) a permitted zoning district in the County of Hawai'i, including Hilo · official page ↗
  • county Short-Term Vacation Rental Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC) (HCC Sec. 25-4-16.1) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: annual · Applies to: STVRs that lawfully operated OUTSIDE a permitted zoning district (e.g., a Hilo residential/agricultural neighborhood) prior to April 1, 2019 and seek to continue; path closed to units not operating by that date · official page ↗
  • county Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) Annual Registration (Bill 47 / Ordinance 25-50, amended by Bill 98 / Ordinance 25-92) Required
    Fee: $250 / annual · Renewal: annual · Applies to: All transient vacation rentals (hosted and unhosted) county-wide, including Hilo; hosted rentals require the owner's principal residence on the same property · official page ↗
  • state State GET & TAT licenses (prerequisite to STVR registration) Required
    Fee: $20 / one-time · Renewal: none · Applies to: All STR operators in Hilo/Hawai'i County (verified as part of the county STVR registration form) · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
Hawai'i State Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) 10.25% Hawai'i Department of Taxation (DOTAX) — —
County of Hawai'i Transient Accommodations Tax (HCTAT) 3% County of Hawai'i Director of Finance (report deemed filed with County via DOTAX filing, but payment remitted separately to the County) — —
General Excise Tax (GET) + Hawai'i County surcharge 4.5% Hawai'i Department of Taxation (DOTAX) — —

Lodging-tax estimator

Estimate the combined transient/lodging tax (~17.8%) on a stay in Hilo. Estimate only — not tax advice.

Operating rules

Primary residence
conditional
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
STVR defined as a dwelling with no more than five bedrooms for rent on the building site; no separate guest-count cap in the ordinance text reviewed.
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
—

Grandfathering: yes

Zoning: STVRs permitted ONLY in: (A) V, CG, and CV districts; (B) residential and commercial parcels within General Plan Resort and Resort Node areas; and (C) RM-district condominium units. Typical Hilo residential/agricultural zoning is outside these, so new non-owner-occupied STVRs are prohibited there. Under new Bill 47/Ord 25-50, unhosted and operator-hosted units are limited to commercial and hotel-resort areas, while owner-hosted (principal-residence) rentals have broader latitude.

  • Grandfathering: STVRs operating outside a permitted district before April 1, 2019 may continue only via an annually-renewed Nonconforming Use Certificate; the NUC path is closed to units not operating by that date, effectively capping the grandfathered pool.
  • 'Short-term vacation rental' means a dwelling unit of which the owner or operator does NOT reside on the building site — owner-occupied use of a primary residence (IRC Sec. 121) is excluded from the STVR definition and treated as 'hosted' under the newer TVR law.
  • Owner/operator (or 'reachable person') must reside in the County of Hawai'i, respond by phone within 1 hour, and be physically present within 3 hours of a request; 24/7 contact required.
  • Good-neighbor standards: quiet hours 9:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m.; on-site parking required; registration/NUC number must appear in all advertising.
  • No statutory annual-night cap or minimum-stay night requirement in the ordinance; STVR is any rental of 30 consecutive days or less (a stay of 180+ days is not a transient accommodation at all).

Enforcement

Active enforcement
yes
Fines
Under the zoning ordinance, an STVR that has not lawfully registered is deemed an unpermitted use subject to the penalties in Chapter 25. Under the new TVR registration law (Bill 47/Ord 25-50), reported penalties run $1,000–$10,000, including up to a $10,000 fine for failing to register, plus possible property liens and registration revocation.
Notes
The Planning Department maintains a public list of registered STVRs and NUC holders, receives/tracks complaints, and has issued warning/enforcement letters to unpermitted operators. The newer TVR ordinance adds an annual registration and enforcement account; as of mid-2026 the registration portal (hawaiicountytar.com) was still being stood up.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Hilo?
Hilo is an unincorporated census-designated place (the county seat) in the County of Hawai'i; it has NO city-level STR ordinance and is governed entirely by Hawai'i County law. Two overlapping county regimes apply. (1) ZONING (in force): Hawai'i County Code Chapter 25, §25-4-16 (added by Bill 108 / Ordinance 18-114, effective April 1, 2019) defines a "short-term vacation rental" (STVR) as a non-owner-occupied dwelling with up to five bedrooms for rent, rented for 30 consecutive days or less. STVRs are PERMITTED ONLY in the V (Resort-Hotel), CG and CV commercial districts; in residential/commercial parcels situated in General Plan Resort and Resort Node areas; and in RM-district condominium units. Most of Hilo's residential/agricultural neighborhoods are NOT in those areas, so new whole-home STVRs there are prohibited unless grandfathered. Existing STVRs operating outside a permitted district before April 1, 2019 could continue only by obtaining an annually-renewed Short-Term Vacation Rental Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC) and registering by September 30, 2019 — the NUC path is closed to units that were not operating by that date. All permitted/grandfathered STVRs must register with the Planning Department (one-time $500 fee), keep State GET + TAT licenses and County property taxes current, and maintain an on-island "reachable" owner/operator (respond by phone within 1 hour, be physically present within 3 hours). (2) NEW TVR REGISTRATION OVERLAY: Bill 47 / Ordinance 25-50 (signed June 25, 2025, published July 11, 2025), as amended by Bill 98 / Ordinance 25-92 (passed Dec. 24, 2025) which pushed the effective/registration date to July 1, 2026, requires ALL transient vacation rentals county-wide to register annually with the County (fees reported as $250 hosted / $500 unhosted, with annual renewals; up to a $10,000 fine for failing to register). Hosted rentals require the owner's principal residence on the same property; unhosted/operator-hosted units remain limited to commercial and hotel-resort areas. As of mid-2026 the county registration portal (hawaiicountytar.com) was still being built. Taxes: Hawai'i State TAT 10.25% + County of Hawai'i TAT (HCTAT) 3% + GET 4% plus 0.5% Hawai'i County GET surcharge (4.5% total).
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Hilo?
Yes — Hilo requires: Short-Term Vacation Rental Registration (HCC Chapter 25, Sec. 25-4-16); Short-Term Vacation Rental Nonconforming Use Certificate (NUC) (HCC Sec. 25-4-16.1); Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) Annual Registration (Bill 47 / Ordinance 25-50, amended by Bill 98 / Ordinance 25-92). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Hilo?
Hawai'i State Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) (10.25%), County of Hawai'i Transient Accommodations Tax (HCTAT) (3%), General Excise Tax (GET) + Hawai'i County surcharge (4.5%) — roughly 17.8% combined. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

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Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.