Hello,
Today we will focus on the beautiful state, Hawai’i. Hawai’i has a growing economy, an increase in income and tourism. However, there is a serious crisis about their wildlife, seeing as Hawai’i is the state in the USA with the highest rate of endangered species as well as species becoming extinct. 70% of the state’s native birds are extinct!
Interestingly the word “Aloha”, often used as both “Hello” and “Goodbye”, comes from a Polynesian word “alofa” meaning mercy, compassion, and love. Furthermore, the word Hawai’i is derived from the Polynesian word “hawaiki” meaning “Place of Gods” or “Homeland”. The Hawaiian King Kamehameha, known for uniting the Hawaiian islands, changed the name to Hawai’i which was originally The Sandwich Islands (named by Captain James Cook in 1778).
Here is a list of the top classified sites within Hawai’i displayed in the categories below. If there are sites you are aware of that have not been mentioned, feel free to mention them in your comments.
General
Car
Real Estate
- Zillow
- Location Rentals
- hot pads
Jobs
Hawaii in 2026: Where Local Listings Live and the Rules That Apply
Hawaii is a small market that is getting smaller. The resident population was 1,432,820 on 1 July 2025, down 22,447 people (1.5%) since the 2020 Census, mainly because more residents leave for other states than births add, and fewer people arrive from abroad (Hawaii DBEDT, 27 January 2026). In a market this size, most local buying and selling happens on a few channels:
- Craigslist Hawaii (honolulu.craigslist.org): jobs, apartments, items for sale and services for all the islands.
- Hawaii's Classifieds (hawaiisclassifieds.com): the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's classifieds section.
- HireNet Hawaii: the State's job bank, run by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, where employers post openings and job seekers search jobs and build resumes (HireNet Hawaii).
Cars and rentals are the two biggest classifieds categories, and both have Hawaii-specific rules buyers, sellers and site owners should know:
| Listing type | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Used car sold on Oahu | The seller files a Notice of Transfer within 10 days (fine up to $100). The buyer transfers the title within 30 days ($10 fee, plus a $50 penalty if late) and needs the endorsed title, the last registration certificate and a current Hawaii Safety Inspection Certificate. | City & County of Honolulu |
| Rentals on Oahu | Ordinance 22-7 raised the minimum rental period for residential properties from 30 to 90 days. A federal injunction of 21 December 2023 stops the City from enforcing it against 30-89-day rentals that were lawfully operating before 23 October 2022, or against advertising them. | Honolulu Star-Advertiser, January 2024 |
| Vacation rentals on Maui | Bill 9, signed on 16 December 2025, phases out about 7,000 short-term rentals in apartment zones: by 1 January 2029 in West Maui and by 1 January 2031 in the rest of the county. Short-term rentals make up 21% of Maui County's housing stock. | Hawaii Public Radio, 16 December 2025 |
Practical tips:
- Buying a car: ask to see the current safety inspection certificate before you pay. Without it you can't complete the transfer.
- Renting: a listing for a residential stay under 90 days on Oahu is only legal if the unit qualifies under the injunction. If in doubt, ask the owner.
- Running a local site: add a minimum-stay field to rental listings and moderate short stays. With Maui's phase-out under way, many apartment-zoned units will move to long-term rentals, which is an opening for a focused long-term rentals site.
Your site or the vision for your site has the potential to be listed as one of the tops in your country, at Yclas we can help you achieve that.
