State Guide
Landlord–tenant law in Hawaii
The rules that come up in practice — returning a deposit, charging a late fee, raising the rent — each read against the Hawaii statute and quoted on its own page.
Security deposit return
Full rule →14 days
The 1st shortest of 49 states with a deadline.
HRS 521-44(c)
Late fee limit
Full rule →8% of the amount of rent due
No mandatory grace period — a fee may be charged as soon as rent is late, if the lease provides for it.
HRS 521-21(f)
Rent increase notice
Full rule →45 days
A statute written specifically about rent increases. The 37th shortest of 49.
HRS 521-71(d)
What is distinctive about Hawaii
- Deposits: 14 days. Failing to give written notice within 14 days forfeits the right to retain any part of the deposit.
- Late fees: capped at 8% of the amount of rent due. There is no mandatory grace period.
- Rent increases: 45 days under a statute written for the purpose.
The mistake that costs the most here
Charging a late fee above Hawaii’s cap. The clause is void rather than reduced, and the tenant’s signature does not save it — which tends to surface in an eviction hearing, exactly when the lease needs to hold up.
Where these figures come from
Each rule above was read against the section it cites and the statutory wording is quoted on the dedicated page, so you can check it rather than take our word for it. That matters more than it sounds on this subject: when we read all 51 jurisdictions we found several widely-published figures to be wrong, including a Kentucky deposit deadline that does not exist, a South Dakota one reported as 14 days when the statute says 21, and late-fee caps for nine states that actually come from their self-storage statutes.
Local ordinances can add requirements the state does not, and statutes move — Washington, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Maryland have all changed in the last three years. Each figure carries the date we read it.
States with the same deposit deadline
Common questions about Hawaii
- How long does a Hawaii landlord have to return a security deposit?
- 14 days under HRS 521-44(c).
- What is the maximum late fee in Hawaii?
- 8% of the amount of rent due, under HRS 521-21(f). A fee above the cap is unenforceable even if the lease says otherwise.
- How much notice before a rent increase in Hawaii?
- 45 days under HRS 521-71(d).
- Does Hawaii have rent control?
- No statewide frequency limit is verified for Hawaii. Only California, Oregon and Washington cap the amount of an increase statewide; some cities do so locally.
Let the software know the Hawaii rules
Pacific Rentals Pro checks a lease’s late fee against the Hawaii cap, counts the deposit deadline from the move-out date, and works out the latest day to serve a rent increase. Same verified data as this page.
Start free →Hawaii rules last read against their cited sources on November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice — verify the current text before relying on it, and check your city and county, which can impose more than the state does.