Hawaii rental housing laws

What it would do: Requires the judiciary to study its ability to remove residential tenants' names from public eviction records in certain circumstances, including when cases are dismissed, all parties agree, or specific conditions are met, and submit findings to the legislature by twenty days before the 2027 regular session.

What it would do: Requires absentee owners and landlords of rental units to designate and register an on-island agent with the department of commerce and consumer affairs, and imposes fines of one month's rent or $2,000 (whichever is greater) every thirty days for non-compliance. Also requires condominium association members who reside outside Hawaii or on another island to designate an on-island agent.

What it would do: Requires the office of consumer protection to create and publish a free, multilingual, accessible notice summarizing tenant rights under Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code beginning July 1, 2027, and review it annually.

What it would do: Establishes a residential landlord-tenant code working group within the judiciary to review the landlord-tenant code, examine enforcement mechanisms, and consider injunctive relief processes, requiring a report to the legislature by twenty days before the 2027 regular session.

What it would do: Requires landlords and agents to accept comprehensive reusable tenant screening reports from applicants within thirty days and prohibits charging application fees when such reports are provided, with penalties of $250 plus attorney's fees for violations and up to $500 for repeat violations.

What it would do: Amends Hawaii law to allow courts to award attorneys' fees and costs to the prevailing party in rental discrimination cases based on source of income, effective July 1, 2050.

What it would do: Authorizes the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to receive, investigate, and conciliate complaints of source of income discrimination in housing and to prosecute such violations with civil penalties up to $2,000 for first violations and $2,500 for subsequent violations.

What it would do: Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes section 521-77 to require the office of consumer protection to submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days before each regular session detailing actions taken in response to potential violations of consumer protection laws.

What it would do: Requires the judiciary to contract with designated organizations to provide free legal representation to eligible residential tenants in eviction proceedings, delivered by attorneys, paralegals, or law students, with limited assistance available to ineligible tenants.

What it would do: Establishes a pilot program requiring landlords to provide ten calendar days' notice before eviction for nonpayment and mandating pre-litigation mediation between landlords and tenants, with each party bearing their own costs unless the tenant defaults on a mediated agreement.

What it would do: Requires landlords to give 60 days' written notice before raising rent or not renewing leases over 90 days, 90 days' notice to terminate tenancies of 3+ years, 60 days' notice for tenancies under 3 years, and 15 days' notice for tenancies under month-to-month.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from evicting tenants without cause, except for substantial violations, nonpayment, or specific no-fault circumstances like demolition, substantial repairs, owner occupancy, or sale. Requires landlords conducting no-fault evictions to offer one month's relocation assistance or waive final month's rent.

What it would do: Amends Hawaii's rent-to-own program to extend the fixed sales price period and purchase option from five years to ten years for dwelling units sold in fee simple or on leasehold state or county land.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from charging additional monthly pet fees except multi-dwelling units with dedicated pet areas may charge up to 0.5% of gross rent. Limits pet security deposits to one-third of one month's rent, excluding assistance animals.

What it would do: Allows condominium and association boards in zoning districts permitting transient vacation rentals to assess impact fees on members using units as vacation rentals, with fees used for maintenance, security, administrative costs, and insurance, requiring 30 days notice and board procedures.

What it would do: Authorizes counties where over one percent of housing stock was destroyed by disaster to establish rent increase caps based on Consumer Price Index changes. Creates a tax credit for landlords leasing dwelling units for one year or longer in such counties.

What it would do: Requires landlords of dwelling units in federally declared disaster areas as of August 8, 2023, who violate the residential landlord-tenant code to pay tenants damages of at least $1,000 or threefold actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorneys' fees and court costs.

What it would do: Prohibits coordinators from performing coordinating functions and rental property owners from engaging in consciously parallel pricing coordination for residential dwelling units in Hawaii. Requires the attorney general to develop a public education program and adopt rules.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from charging application fees for criminal background checks or credit reports if applicants provide certified copies from another landlord within thirty days or provide a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report. Requires landlords to provide certified copies of applicants' background checks and credit reports upon request.

What it would do: Prohibits rental agreements from banning pet animals in dwelling units if the tenant obtains and maintains liability insurance covering pet-caused damages, except in condominiums or planned communities with documents prohibiting pets. Effective July 1, 2050.

What it would do: Amends Hawaii landlord-tenant law to require landlords to ensure dwelling unit premises are free of bed bugs at all times during tenancy, establishing bed bug infestation as a violation of the implied warranty of habitability.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from rejecting rental applicants solely for inability to provide recent paystubs, but allows landlords to require evidence of unearned income or liquid assets dated within thirty days of application sufficient to cover rent.

What it would do: Requests the Judiciary to convene a three-year working group to research landlord-tenant issues, including rental housing availability, challenges faced by landlords and tenants, code improvements, and problem areas, with an initial report due twenty days before the 2026 Regular Session.

What it would do: Prohibits coordinators from performing coordinating functions and rental property owners from engaging in consciously parallel pricing coordination for residential dwelling units. Requires the attorney general to develop a public education program and adopt rules.

What it would do: Prohibits Hawaii district courts from making summary possession court records publicly accessible until a writ of possession is issued; once issued, the records become publicly available.