Hi, Laurie;

It shows up just below the description on the listing.  To access it from the edit menu, the box is labelled "Registration Number."  Go to Property, Edit Property, Description, and it's there at the end, after the Property Name, Headline, Summary, and Description boxes.

It's an HA issue; that seems to be the account whereby VRBO or HA is unilaterally auto-populating old, outdated W-series HI-Tax ID numbers on behalf of its Hawaii customers in the Registration Number field.

Curiously, those Hawaii customers who discovered this have noted that, obviously, nowhere in their listing's description is there an old, outdated Hawaii Tax ID.  We're all using the new ones, per the August 2016 switch announced by HI DoTax.  For timeline, I believe it was HI Act 326 in 2012 or so that mandated the use of the the Hawaii Tax ID in the listing.  And HI Act 204 of January 1, 2016, which replaced 326 upon sunset, caused us to continue to the practice. So perhaps what's happening is that HA is picking up content from some original application-for-listing form from years ago.

But behind-the-scenes, internal challenges for the VRBO technical boffins isn't really the issue now.

This has become another public problem created by VRBO in Hawaii, a state that's commendably very active in TVR legislation and regulation.  The unilateral action by VRBO to create the Registration Number box, and its concurrent failure to let its customers know of its existence (so it sits empty), and further, apparent unanticipated or resolved technical challenges within the effort that have seen the box auto-populated by old, outdated Hawaii Tax IDs, has directly exposed the Hawaii customers of VRBO-HA to legitimate and aggressive action by the State and Counties to target illegal TVRs.  VRBO has made our legal TVR operations appear to be illegal, i.e., because of the unannounced-to-customers addition of the Registration Number box, we're not listing our HI Tax IDs, or have old-outdated data in them, due to auto-population by VRBO.  These are the very characteristics of illegal TVRS in Hawaii, where the fines for same are now $20K upon discovery, and $10K a day of operation after that discovery.

So, with respect to VRBO's request for assistance, Erinn -- and I appreciate the VRBO desire for feedback -- perhaps the better action is a more comprehensive one that addresses all the identified issues with this unilateral VRBO action that has placed Maui customer listings on the wrong side of legal:

1.  Communicate with all your VRBO Maui customers to inform them that VRBO unilaterally, and without advance notification to Maui VRBO customers, created and placed on their listing a Registration Number box, and that problems have been identified with this action that may make the customer's TVR look to be illegal, i.e., that the Registration Number box is sitting there, empty, or that it may have been auto-populated with an old, outdated, pre-2016 W-series Hi Tax ID;

2.  Request that customers immediately check their Maui VRBO listing to see if the Registration Number box is empty or contains an old, outdated HI Tax ID, and that customers make note if they access their listing by logging in through VRBO or HA;

3. Request that if the Registration Number box is empty, or filled out incorrectly, that customers use the Edit function for their listing and populate the Registration Number box with the correct HI Tax ID;

4.  Kindly ask that Maui VRBO customers then respond to the VRBO email providing VRBO with information as to whether the Registration Number box was blank, auto-populated with the old, outdated W-series Tax ID, and whether they access their listing through VRBO or HA login; and,

5.  Apologize to Maui VRBO customers for this unannounced VRBO tinkering with Maui customers' VRBO listings on a matter that is so significant in respect of laws and regulations governing Hawaii TVRs, and declare that going forward, Texas-based VRBO will see its Maui customers as an asset to be communicated with in advance of marketing or listing-adjusting efforts to ensure that such actions respect and do not undermine its customers compliance with Hawaii State or County regulatory and other requirements, or their efforts to demonstrate responsive and legal operation in the Hawaii and its Counties.

VRBO would be also be advised -- in light of the precarious position in which it has placed its Hawaii customers, i.e., unilaterally adding a Registration Number box on their listing, but without telling them so it sits empty, or auto-populating it with old-outdated information -- to write to Hawaii State and County officials to explain what's been done by VRBO without notifying its customers in advance or taking due care in implementation, and the implication of illegal operation that the VRBO failures have created for VRBO Hawaii customers, and operators of legal TVRs, as a result.

Erinn, I know this has nothing to do with you.  But VRBO is just not learning from its last mistake in Hawaii, or willing to accept that their customers in Hawaii are assets and have a vested entered in helping VRBO to avoid creating these crises in the first place.  All this on the eve of the 2019 legislative session, where bills are no doubt already being drafted by responsible Hawaii State Legislators.  Again, I'd get someone senior at VRBO to reopen the communication channels wth Hawaii State and County officials opened after that disastrous October VRBO solicitation letter encouraging Hawaii recipients to list their homes with VRBO -- despite recipients' addresses being in areas where TVRs are clearly illegal due to zoning -- in order that these new risks created by VRBO for its Hawaii customers with legal TVRs are mitigated.  Owners using this forum to communicate with Hawaii officials on VRBO challenges is one avenue, and we're all grateful for it.  But it's a poor cousin to direct accountability by VRBO with Hawaii electeds and officials with whom the VRBO failures resonate loudest and with greatest consequence for VRBO customers whose TVRs fall under the legislative and licensing powers of said Hawaii government leaders.