Contoversial new Hawaii housing law

Aloha, are you for or against this? A new law signed in 2025 allows investors to create multiple rental units on a single property.

The downsides of Hawaii’s updated zoning rules, including Honolulu Ordinance 25-2, center on increased density and its ripple effects: allowing multiple units on a single property can lead to neighborhood crowding, more traffic and parking strain, and added pressure on infrastructure like water and sewer systems, while also opening the door for investors to buy up single-family homes and convert them into multi-unit rentals, which can drive up property values and reduce affordability for local buyers; at the same time, enforcement can be difficult (with risks of illegal rentals), and for condo owners especially, these laws can create confusion or conflict with HOA rules that may still prohibit additional units.

The CURRENT law (2026)

Honolulu Ordinance 25-2 (2025, in effect now in 2026)

Part of Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Chapter 21 (Land Use Ordinance)