Some of Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama‘s properties in Hawaii are reportedly facing fines totaling thousands of dollars.
According to a new report by the Honolulu Civil Beat, the Renovation Aloha stars reportedly owe $40,000 to the city of Honolulu for operating two illegal Airbnb rentals. An investigation by the Department of Planning and Permitting revealed that one of the pair’s properties, listed in Tristyn’s name, was allegedly available for rent at $1,000 a night for a minimum of three nights. The property was rented out without a permit, resulting in a $10,000 fine.
Per the outlet, the home was recently re-listed on Airbnb and was updated to require a stay of at least 30 days. The property allegedly received a building violation notice in January 2025 for unpermitted work. The violation, which remains active, was canceled and reissued that June.
Tristyn and Kamohai reportedly owe $30,000 in fines for another of their rental properties in Mililani. The home is no longer listed on Airbnb, but was available to rent for $6,000. The outlet reported that the Zillow rental listing was taken down, and claimed that the rental listings were modified after they reached out to the couple’s personal and company emails.
Renovation Aloha premiered on HGTV in 2024. The series follows Tristyn and Kamohai as they give new life to run-down properties on Oahu and across Hawaii. A few months after the show concluded its debut season, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported in December 2024 that work on the properties featured in Season 1 began before building permits were approved and issued. The Kalamas paid $20,000 in penalties for the violations.
HGTV
News of the couple’s new legal drama comes nearly one month after they were sued for featuring human remains on the April 14 episode of Renovation Aloha. During the episode, Tristyn and Kamohai chose not to continue a project after discovering remains in a lava tube on the property. (Footage of the remains has been removed from further broadcasts and streaming.)
“The most respectful thing to do in our culture is to protect in place, to not disturb the bones and preserve the history of the land,” Kamohai said on the show. “We’re just going to keep the lot. That will ensure that nobody ever builds on it, and the bones will be there, protected in place, in perpetuity.”
The Hawaii Attorney General’s office obtained a temporary restraining order requiring the removal of footage from the episode from social media, but the episode still aired on HGTV. A civil complaint was later filed against the Kalamas, producer Nathan Fields, HGTV, and Discovery Inc.
“Hawaiʻi law affords the highest level of protection to ʻiwi kūpuna—the skeletal remains of Native Hawaiian ancestors—and to all burial sites within the State,” reads an excerpt from the complaint, which was published by the Honolulu Civil Beat. “HRS § 6E-11 prohibits the unauthorized taking, appropriation, excavation, injury, destruction, or alteration of burial sites and restricts the handling or disturbance of human skeletal remains except as authorized by law.”
Lynne Davis Adeyemi, vice president of communications for Warner Bros. Discovery, addressed the legal drama in a statement, saying, “We take the concerns raised by the Native Hawaiian community very seriously and are committed to ensuring our programming is respectful and appropriate. We apologize to anyone who found any part of the episode offensive, as that was not HGTV’s intention.”
Renovation Aloha Season 3, Tuesdays, 8/7c, HGTV
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