A group of neighborhood and environmental organizations is seeking a seat at the table in the latest legal battle over the regulation of short-term vacation rentals in Oahu, Hawaii.
The long-time environmental group Hawaii’s Thousand Friends on Monday joined the organizations Save Oahu’s Neighborhoods, HI Good Neighbor, Keep It Kailua and Save North Shore Neighborhoods in filing a motion to intervene in a lawsuit challenging a new Honolulu ordinance meant to rein in rentals of properties in residential neighborhoods.
Honolulu’s land-use ordinance for decades has generally restricted renting properties to tourists in residential neighborhoods but also allowed rentals of 30 days or longer, regardless of whether the tenant was a tourist or someone else.
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A new ordinance adopted this year increased the minimum stay to 90 days. In response, an organization representing property owners filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law, and last week U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson issued an order blocking the city from enforcing the 90-day minimum, which was supposed to go into effect next week.
On Thursday, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi is expected to explain how the city plans to proceed after the court ruling. Options include settling the litigation and grandfathering in properties that previously had rented for…
