Honolulu department creates online rental complaint form

Hawaii: The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting has created an online complaint form for the public to request an investigation of a suspected illegal vacation rental or advertisement.

The form’s website includes a list of FAQs for hosts to determine if they need to register their property as a short-term rental and for the public to make official complaints if necessary.

A press release from the DPP announced that the identity of any person/s making complaints will be kept confidential.

The website comes under the provision of Ordinance 19-18, otherwise known as Bill 89, which required the DPP to implement a complaint system for short-term vacation rentals by a mandate.

The new law will require the department to respond to complainants within 30 days.

According to the press release provided to Honolulu Civil Beat, complaints “must identify the address of the suspected illegal vacation rental, provide facts that cause the complainant to believe a violation has occurred, and provide the complainant’s address where the director may send a response”.

Since Ordinance 19-18 was officially enforced at the start of August 2019, DPP inspectors say they have issued 242 notices of violation to owners of suspected illegal vacation rentals, in comparison to 39 notices in 2018.

DPP acting director Kathy Sokugawa said: “Nearly every day we receive information about suspected illegal short-term rentals.

“We want to continue this support by providing this online form, so the public is aware of what specific kinds of information is needed for the department to issue notices of violation. This will increase the pace of (notices) being issued,” she added.

The form’s website can be accessed at the link here.