New regulations for short-term vacation rentals in Hawaii County are set to take effect in December, following passage of a bill that drew passionate debate from residents, property owners and housing advocates.

Mayor Kimo Alameda signed Bill 47 into law on June 23. The bill refers to the properties as transient vacation rentals, or TVRs, but for clarity, this article uses the more commonly recognized term: short-term vacation rentals, or STVRs.

The law aims to regulate STVRs — defined as rentals lasting less than 180 consecutive days — in Hawaii County.

Bill 47 introduces new registration and enforcement rules for both hosted STVRs, where the host stays at the property during rental periods, and unhosted STVRs, where they do not.

The bill, introduced by County Council members Heather

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