Short Term Rental Investments in Hawaii

What are short term rental investments

A short-term rental (or STR) is a furnished living area that is offered for a few days to weeks at a time. Short-term rentals, often known as holiday rentals, are a cheaper option to staying in a hotel. Companies like Airbnb and VRBO have helped to mainstream the short-term rental industry, especially in Hawaii. It is now simpler than ever for investors to benefit from real estate ownership. Rather than being locked into long-term leases, property owners may take advantage of local demand for short-term and vacation rentals. Demand continues to rise as the short-term rental market expands. As a result, investing in short-term rental property is becoming more appealing. It may be part of a retirement strategy, a way to live a digital, location-independent existence, or a way to fulfill a family dream of owning a second house. Purchasing a vacation home has the potential to generate considerable revenue to help pay down the mortgage and other expenses. Due diligence is essential to a good conclusion in any investment. As a result, it is important to conduct broad-based research. Making an informed choice on where to buy and if there is enough rental potential to make it profitable necessitates an extensive study into the Hawaii market. This might contain rules, zoning, and municipal infrastructure, as well as information on incoming tourists and taxation.

The Hawaii Short Term Rentals Market

One out of every 24 residences in Hawaii is a vacation rental. Hawaii’s government took a harsher stance on short-term rentals due to the high percentage rate of vacation rental properties and a scarcity of affordable housing for locals. Transient vacation rental units (unhosted rentals that do not qualify as B&Bs) are only authorized in resort areas and some apartment zoning districts in Honolulu, with exceptions for properties with nonconforming use certificates. Meanwhile, more than 16,000 units on Maui are qualified to operate as STRs without the need for short-term rental licenses. In Hawaii, investing in a vacation rental property may quadruple your revenue when compared to renting to local residents. Vacationers are only interested in the short term. They could be ready to pay a cost for a weekend or one or two weeks that would bankrupt someone who lived there all year. If your renters are traveling to Oahu, they have money and are willing to spend it to have a good time. You may do extremely well with a vacation rental if you can provide the experience they are searching for. To be successful, you must select a home that can be rented financially and invest enough to make it a desirable location to stay. Hawaii vacation rentals are more popular than ever. Our suggestions for increasing profitability and reducing vacancy make your vacation rental property work for you – even when you’re relaxing on the beach.

Five Tips for Hawaii Short Term Rental Investors

1. Think about: location, location, location…

When it comes to short-term rental properties, location is king. Indeed, according to recent statistics from Airbnb analytics firm AirDNA, finding a high-profit site to buy is more difficult than it appears. According to the site’s 2018 statistics, there is a negative link between property prices and gross revenue, with properties in high-demand regions bringing in some of the country’s worst profit margins What are the most profitable locations? These are in smaller towns. When evaluating the Hawaii STR market, take a comprehensive look at all the islands, counties, and smaller communities. Densely populated places, such as Waikiki, have high demand but also high competition. Doing your financial and market study ahead of time will pay rewards. Use tools like Mashvisor to narrow down the most profitable investment opportunities. Before investing, make sure you’ve done your homework on local laws and housing restrictions. In recent years, some towns have prohibited or restricted short-term rentals (many HOAs have rules against it too).

2. Understand the many Hawaii regulations

The regulations and laws in Hawaii differ for short-term and long-term rentals. Short-term renters do not enjoy tenant rights unless they stay for an extended period of time (28-30 days). If you wish, you can change a short-term rental into a long-term rental, so make sure you read both sets of rules. The last thing you want is to promote a home only to discover that it is in a neighborhood that prohibits short-term rentals or needs an unanticipated licensing process. Each county in Hawaii has its own set of laws for vacation rental homes, which are always changing. The regulations are intended to please locals as well as the state’s 9 million yearly tourists. The Big Island and Oahu, both popular tourist destinations, recently changed their short-term vacation rental (STR) rules to limit the number of rental homes in residential areas. While the new restrictions caused some worry (and a lot of paperwork) among Hawaii’s STR owners.

3. Maximize the lifetime value of each guest

They may be short-time visitors, but if you can secure their business for the long term, your profits will benefit. There are obvious methods to accomplish this (be responsive, provide an exceptional experience, etc.), but let’s face it: you can be more creative than that.

• Did you install a hot tub? Is there a new restaurant or shopping complex next door? Is there a huge conference down the street? Send a note to previous visitors informing them of the changes. You never know when something will hit home.
• These are guests you know will require frequent accommodations and are likely to stay for an extended period of time. Consider mentioning them in your listing descriptions and providing business-friendly facilities like as blackout curtains (for those jetlagged naps) or earplugs and super-fast Wi-Fi (for cranking out that late-night work). Consider investing in homes near conference centers, airports, or other locations frequented by these visitors.
• Give your guests discount vouchers or referral prizes, and encourage them to recommend you to their friends and coworkers. It isn’t “repeat” business, but it is new business from a former client (and that still means more cash in your pockets).

4. Utilize a specialized real estate agent

There are few realtors that are truly experts with the Hawaii vacation rental industry, so it’s crucial to deal with one who is. Inquire about their expertise selling Hawaii homes with short-term rental possibilities, taking care to differentiate this from the residential rental market. A skilled realtor will be able to talk about supply and demand, laws, inbound tourism, seasonality, and the significance of location for various visitor groups. Find the proper one, and he or she will significantly minimize the amount of time you spend on research.

5. Consider budgeting for a property management company

Hiring a property management firm may be beneficial, as long as it is factored into your STR business strategy. Dealing with critical problems like HVAC or plumbing difficulties requires some effort up front, but once you have a team in place, dispatching workers is simple. Consider your own circumstances and if you have the time and mental stamina to cope with situations when they happen. If so, it may be worthwhile to hire a property management firm to handle critical concerns on your behalf. Just keep in mind that it will need to be budgeted for to ensure profitability.

Ready to get started with Short Term Rental Investing in Hawaii?

Short-term rentals are a fantastic way to diversify your revenue sources and improve your financial security. It requires some upfront preparation and labor, but once you’ve established your system, it’s a lot easier to maintain! If you believe this would be a good investment approach – take your first step right now and schedule a Free Real Estate Investing Consultation with our team!