LEGAL TVU? or not

 We want you to visit Oahu and enjoy your stay in a legal Honolulu vacation rental.  Many TVUs 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, Manoa, Nuuanu, Kahaluu, Kahuku, Kawela Bay, North Shore, Pupukea, Haleiwa, Mokuleia, Makaha, Aina Haina, Waianae, Ewa, Turtle Bay, Koolina, and Kahala.

 

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

 

1)    Ask the operator or booking agent if the TVU property they are offering holds a NonConforming Use Certificate for the TVU or is properly zoned for a TVU.  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 -- TVU’.  If there is a
  ‘NONCONFORMING USE -- TVU’, the Land Use Ordinance allows a TVU, or

 

    9)   The ‘LAND CONTROL CODES’ Table ‘ZONING (LUO) line indicates whether or not
  the zoning is ‘RESORT’.  If the zoning is a ‘RESORT’, the Land Use Ordinance
  allows a TVU, or

 

  10)   The ‘LAND CONTROL CODES’ Table ‘ZONING (LUO)’ line indicates whether      
  or not the zoning is ‘RESORT MIXED-USE PRECINCT’.  If the zoning is a  
  ‘RESORT MIXED USE PRECINCT’, the Land Use Ordinance allows a TVU.

 

  11)  If the operator or booking agent told you that the address is a legal

          short-term rental and your previous research does not show ‘NONCONFORMING

          USE -- TVU’ or ‘RESORT MIXED-USE PRECINCT’ or ‘RESORT’ contact the 
 DPP below.

 

  12)  If the operator or booking agent told you that the address is a legal short term
 Rental and your previous research does not show  ‘NONCONFORMING  USE -- TVU’
 or ‘RESORT MIXED USE PRECINCT’, or ‘RESORT’ contact the DPP below.

 

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

 

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.