LEGAL B&B? or not

 

We want you to visit Oahu and enjoy your stay in a legal Bed and Breakfast.  Many B&Bs are legal and can be a fun place to stay - enjoy.  But many are not legal, so we provide this research worksheet to help you determine legality on your own.  By ‘legality’, we mean conformance with the Land Use Ordinance.

 

Sorry, but the following research tool does not work with neighbor islands (Maui, Big Island, Kauai, Molokai, Niihau, Lanai).  It does work for all of Oahu, including Hawaii Kai, Honolulu, Waikiki, Waimanalo, Lanikai, Kailua, Kaneohe, Kahaluu, Kahuku, Kawela Bay, North Shore, Pupukea, Haleiwa, Mokuleia, Nuuanu, Manoa, Aina Haina, Makaha, Waianae, Ewa, Turtle Bay, Koolina, and Kahala.

 

The following steps will help you to determine if a B&B is legal:

 

1)    Ask the operator or booking agent if the B&B property they are offering holds a NonConforming Use Certificate for the B&B.  If they say no, keep looking.  If they don’t know or say yes, continue.

 

2)    Ask the operator or booking agent for the full exact address of the property they are offering.  Don’t be satisfied with just a name.  Write it down.  Tell them that the full address -- including apartment number, street number, and street name --  must be included in the rental agreement.

 

3)    Open http://gis.hicentral.com/website/parcelzoning/viewer.htm   It should open in another window so that you can refer back to the following instructions.

 

4)    Click on the  button in the left-hand column

 

5)    Enter the street number and street name under Search by Site in the upper right section.  Use only the street name and no prefix such as E. or East, etc, and no suffix such as Ave; St; etc.   Click on right below the street name. 

 

6)    Click on the number directly below TMK adjacent to the address you entered, or if the building has multiple units click ‘list units’ and select the unit.  The ‘Property Information’ display should appear in the upper right.

 

7)      Click on ZONING INFO  in the lower right.  This should forward you to the DPP Tax Map Key Info page or the DPP Property Search page.  If you are on the DPP Property Search page, click the most current     which will take you to the DPP Tax Map Key page.

 

8)     The LAND CONTROL CODES Table LOT RESTRICTIONS line indicates whether or
  not there is a ‘NONCONFORMING USE -- B&B’.

 

9)      If there is a ‘NONCONFORMING USE -- B&B’,  the Land Use Ordinance allows a B&B.

 

10)   If the operator or booking agent told you that the address is a legal
  short‑term  rental and the LOT RESTRICTIONS does not contain ‘NONCONFORMING
  USE -- B&B’, contact the DPP below.

 

 The above is intended as an aid for your protection from illegal B&B operators.  It must not impede your desire to rent, or cause you to avoid renting, a legal B&B. 

 

Please exhaust the above process before contacting the DPP.  They are very busy folks with important work.  If you still have any doubt as to whether a short‑term rental is legal or illegal, phone the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) at (808) 768-8110 with the full address including apartment number if an apartment.