State law · statute quotes
Hawaii security deposit laws for landlords and property managers
The words of Hawaii's security deposit statute on each topic, quoted verbatim with pinpoint citations and links to the official source. No summaries, no interpretation.
Reviewed by Mark Shvaya, licensed California real estate broker (DRE #02243502), who uses ProFlow360 in a rental portfolio Mark manages
Last reviewed
Quoted on this page
- Deposit limit
- Returning the deposit
- Itemized statement
- Inspections and condition reports
- Photographs
- Normal wear and tear
- Interest
- Wrongful withholding
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 · Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
On this page
What this page covers
Hawaii's residential security deposit provisions quoted here come from Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44, Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42. Below are the statute's own words on 5 topics, each with a pinpoint citation and a link to the official text. This page does not summarize or interpret the law.
What does Hawaii law say about move-in or move-out inspections?
Prior to the initial date of initial occupancy, the landlord shall inventory the premises and make a written record detailing the condition of the premises and any furnishings or appliances provided. Duplicate copies of this inventory shall be signed by the landlord and by the tenant and a copy given to each tenant.
What does Hawaii law say about the amount of a security deposit?
(b) The landlord may require, as a condition of a rental agreement, a security deposit to be paid by or for the tenant for the items in subsection (a) and no others in an amount not in excess of a sum equal to one month's rent, plus an amount agreed upon by the landlord and tenant to compensate the landlord for any damages caused by any pet animal allowed to reside in the premises pursuant to the rental agreement;
What does Hawaii law say about returning the deposit?
The security deposit, or the portion of the security deposit remaining after the landlord has claimed and retained amounts authorized under this section, if any, shall be returned to the tenant not later than fourteen days after the termination of the rental agreement.
What does Hawaii law say about an itemized statement of deductions?
the landlord shall so notify the tenant, in writing, unless the tenant had wrongfully quit the dwelling unit, together with the particulars of and grounds for the retention, including written evidence of the costs of remedying tenant defaults, such as estimates or invoices for material and services or of the costs of cleaning, such as receipts for supplies and equipment or charges for cleaning services.
What does Hawaii law say about wrongful withholding?
(1) The landlord wrongfully and wilfully retained a security deposit or part of a security deposit, the court may award the tenant damages in an amount equal to three times the amount of the security deposit, or part thereof, wrongfully and wilfully retained and the cost of suit.
Not quoted on this page
photographs, normal wear and tear, interest. That does not mean Hawaii law is silent on them; other sections or local rules may apply. Read the full statute.
Has Hawaii's security deposit law changed recently?
From our review of the official history notes: History: [... am L 2013, c 206, §1; am L 2015, c 29, §3]. No 2024-2026 amendment shown.
How does ProFlow360 help you document a Hawaii tenancy?
ProFlow360 records and organizes inspection evidence; it does not tell you what the statute requires or allows. What it records, for any state:
- Move-in, routine, pre-move-out and move-out inspections with photos timestamped at capture.
- Each move-out photo beside its move-in match, filed under the tenancy.
- Itemized lines with your classification, the amount you entered, and the estimate or invoice attached.
- An issued record that is sealed, shared by a link that expires and can be revoked.
Do this in ProFlow360
Keep the photos, the call and the invoice on the same line
Every deduction line carries the move-in and move-out photos, your classification and its documents, so the record can be followed by someone who was not there.
Kitchen · counter burn, left of range
Line 2 of 5 · TEN-0418
MI-21 · Jul 12, 2024
MO-29 · Sep 30, 2026Security deposit statutes in nearby states
Sources
- 1.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44: Security deposits.
- 2.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42: Landlord to supply and maintain fit premises (move-in inventory)
Sources checked October 16, 2026.
Start documenting condition properly
Create an account and run your next inspection with the evidence trail already in place. No card required to start.