HONOLULU (AP) - Oahu’s short-term vacation rental industry can operate again after the lifting of coronavirus restrictions that hammered business.
The island’s vacation rental occupancy for September fell to 14.5%, a 59% decrease from September 2019, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser recently reported. The Hawaii Tourism Authority released the figures in a report last week.
Rentals were sidelined by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s pandemic restrictions beginning on April 7. Oahu moved into the next phase of its economic reopening Thursday, allowing about 800 short-term rental properties to resume business along with those on neighboring islands.
Rentals offering stays of 30 days or less that were not used to quarantine guests were allowed to operate on the Big Island, Kauai and Maui beginning in June when the state’s first interisland quarantine was lifted.
Oahu’s vacation rental supply in September fell more than 56% to 97,989 units. The island’s rental demand dropped to 14,160 units, although the nearly 92% decrease was not as steep as on Maui or Kauai.
September occupancy at Maui County vacation rentals decreased to 5.4%. Maui’s supply declined more than 48%, to 151,521 units, and demand dropped more than 96%, the most of any island, to 8,151 units.
Kauai’s vacation rental occupancy decreased to 5.6%, while supply fell nearly 49%, to 62,133 units. Demand decreased nearly 96%, to 3,500 units.
Oahu’s short-term rental industry was more restricted than other islands even before the pandemic. Honolulu allows short-term rental lodging largely only in resort and certain apartment-zoned districts.
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