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Honolulu rentals lease in two weeks as concessions all but disappear

Honolulu rentals leased in 14 days in Q3 2026, concessions fell to 0.8%, and the rent-vs-buy gap jumped $302 to $417 a month.

Honolulu rentals lease in two weeks as concessions all but disappear
Written by
Rental Beast
Published
October 23, 2026

Q3 2026 at a glance

Honolulu rentals leased in a median 14 days this quarter, concessions fell below 1%, and multifamily rents rose 9.5% from a year ago.
Median days on market
14
-1 day vs. Q2
Listings with concessions
0.8%
Down from 1.7% in Q2
Median 3-bedroom rent
$3,500
+4.5% year over year
Cost to buy vs. rent
+$417
Per month, up $302 vs. Q2

Median rent by unit type

The 3-bedroom median held at $3,500, while 2-bedroom rents climbed 3.7% quarter over quarter to $2,800 and multifamily rents are up 9.5% year over year.

Median rent by property type
Q1 2025 to Q3 2026. Hover a quarter for details
$2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,500 1Q25 2Q25 3Q25 4Q25 1Q26 2Q26 3Q26 3BD $3,500 SF $3,000 2BD $2,800 MF $2,650 1BD $2,100
1BD
$2,100
+5.3% YoY, 0.0% QoQ
2BD
$2,800
+7.9% YoY, +3.7% QoQ
3BD
$3,500
+4.5% YoY, 0.0% QoQ
SF
$3,000
+0.2% YoY, 0.0% QoQ
MF
$2,650
+9.5% YoY, +1.9% QoQ
Rental Beast

Concessions and days on market

Only 0.8% of listings offered a concession, down from 1.7% in Q2, and median days on market fell to 14, five days faster than the national median.

Listings offering a concession
0.8%
Down from 1.7% last quarter
National median: 39.8%
Median days on market
All
14
-6.7%
SF
13
-7.1%
MF
13
-18.8%
Change is quarter over quarter. National median: All 19 / SF 17 / MF 20
Rental Beast

Property manager sentiment

The share of managers expecting rent increases fell to 8% from 24% in Q2, while 12% now report more applicants after none did last quarter.

Do you expect rent prices to increase, decrease, or remain the same over the next 6 months?
8%
Remain the same 92%
Increase Decrease (0%) Remain the same
Q2 2026: 24% increase, 0% decrease, 76% remain the same
Are you currently getting more, fewer, or about the same applicants for your available rentals?
12%
88%
Fewer (0%) More About the same
Q2 2026: 0% fewer, 0% more, 100% about the same
Survey responses from Hawaii.
Rental Beast

Rent vs. buy: the gap widens

Buying costs $417 more per month than renting, up $302 from Q2 and the widest gap in the four quarters tracked, as the monthly cost to buy rose while rents held.

Monthly cost to rent
$3,500
Monthly cost to buy
$3,917
Difference
+$417
more per month to buy, up from $115 in Q2
Rent vs. buy gap by quarter
$85
$9
$115
$417
4Q25
1Q26
2Q26
3Q26
Rent is the median 3-bedroom rent. Buy uses the median list price of $675,000 (August 2026), 20% down, 7.2% rate, taxes and insurance.Rental Beast

Check out the Q3 2026 nationwide report

Download the full national analysis including rent-vs-buy and sentiment data across every tracked metro: Q3 2026 National Rental Market Report

Additional reports are available for the following markets:

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Methodology

Rental data used in this report are sourced and catalogued directly by Rental Beast, unless otherwise noted. Rental Beast listing data covers a range of rental property types and owner types operating within the long-term rental market (generally considered to be leases with a minimum of three months). Single-family rentals are considered to be properties with 4 or fewer units. Multifamily is more than 4 doors. Unless otherwise noted, our analysis uses the Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as the geographical unit.

Rents are calculated based on these listings. Days on market (DOM) and concession analysis are based on these listings, with some data sources excluded due to DOM and concession info being unavailable or deemed to be unreliable. Concessions are incentives that entice renters to sign a lease (e.g., one month free, a gift card, etc.). Our sentiment survey is based on phone conversations during Q3 2026 with rental building and community managers and property managers. Questions and answer choices:

  • Q1. Do you expect rent prices to increase, remain the same or decrease over the next 6 months? [Possible answers: Remain the same, increase, decrease]
  • Q2. Do you believe you are currently getting more, about the same or fewer applicants for your available rentals? [Possible answers: About the same, more, fewer]

DISCLAIMER. This report attempts to provide reliable and useful information; however, there is no guarantee that the information or other content in this document is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. All content is subject to change without notice. All content is provided on an “as is” basis, with no warranties of any kind whatsoever. Rental data used in this report are sourced and catalogued directly by Rental Beast, unless otherwise noted. Our analysis uses MSA as the geographical unit and is not reflective of all-U.S. measures. Information from this document may be used with proper attribution.

©2026 by Rental Beast

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