Hawaii landlord tenant law: the rules a landlord meets

Hawaii security deposit law

Most you can take

1 month’s rentHRS § 521-44(b)Plus an optional pet deposit of up to one more month's rent when pets are allowed (not for assistance animals).

Back to the tenant within

14 daysHRS § 521-44(c)

Rent and late fees

Late fee

8% of the monthly rentHRS § 521-21(f)

Hawaii rent increase laws and rent control

Notice before a rent increase

45 daysHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-21(d)45 consecutive days' written notice for a month-to-month tenancy, 15 days for a shorter periodic tenancy. There is no rent control in Hawaii and no cap on the amount.

Rent control

None in forceHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-21(d)

Entering the property: notice to the tenant

Notice before you enter

48 hoursHRS § 521-53(b)

Ending a tenancy and eviction notices

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

45 daysHRS § 521-71120 days for demolition or conversion to a condominium or transient vacation rental. A tenant gives 28 days.

Unpaid rent

10 daysHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68, as amended by Act 278, SLH 2025“10-day notice of nonpayment of rent”Paying in full within the period stops itAct 278 (2025) sets 10 calendar days from receipt, a copy to a mediation center and mediation if the tenant asks, from 5 February 2026 to 4 February 2028. Outside that window the statute's notice is 5 business days.

Another breach of the lease

10 daysHaw. Rev. Stat. §§ 521-69, 521-72“notice to remedy breach”The tenant can fix the breach within the periodThe notice must give at least 10 days to remedy a breach of the rules or of the tenant's maintenance duties. No cure period is needed where the breach threatens health or safety, causes injury, or is deliberate serious damage.

Lockouts and shutoffs

Banned: lockouts and utility shutoffsHaw. Rev. Stat. §§ 521-63, 521-74.5

The Hawaii eviction process, step by step

Disclosures a Hawaii lease has to carry

• Give the tenant in writing the name and address of the owner or the owner's agent authorised to receive rent, notices and demands, and keep it current. (HRS § 521-43)
• A landlord who lives off the island where the unit is must designate an agent who lives on that island. (HRS § 521-43)
• Give tenants the landlord's general excise tax number so they can claim the low-income tax credit. (HRS § 521-43)
• Before occupancy, prepare a written inventory of the condition of the unit and furnishings, signed in duplicate by landlord and tenant. (HRS § 521-42(a))