Deposit laws by state › Hawaii
State law · Hawaii
Hawaii security deposit law
How long your landlord has to return your deposit, what they can deduct, and what happens if they get it wrong.
Short answer: Within 14 days after the rental agreement ends, the landlord must return the deposit, or notify the tenant in writing of what it is keeping and why, with written evidence of costs such as estimates, invoices or receipts.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Hawaii?
- Return deadline
- Within 14 days after the rental agreement ends, the landlord must return the deposit, or notify the tenant in writing of what it is keeping and why, with written evidence of costs such as estimates, invoices or receipts.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c)
- Itemized list
- The written notice with the particulars and evidence of costs is due within the same 14 days, mailed to an address the tenant supplied.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c)
Prefer a full page? Use the security deposit deadline calculator.
What happens if a Hawaii landlord misses the deadline?
- If the landlord misses it
- A landlord who does not give the written notice within 14 days is not entitled to keep any of the deposit and must return all of it.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c)
- Penalty
- For wilful wrongful retention, the court may award up to three times the deposit plus the cost of suit. Without wilfulness, the court awards the amount wrongfully kept plus costs.Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(h)
Penalties that depend on bad faith or willfulness are possible, not automatic. Only a judge can make that finding.
What can a Hawaii landlord deduct from your deposit?
What can be deducted: Tenant defaults for accidental or intentional damage, cleaning, damages when the tenant wrongfully quits, pet damage, and unpaid utilities. (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(a))
Cleaning: The landlord may clean the unit at the end of the tenancy to return it to as fit a condition as when the tenant moved in. (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(a)(2))
What the itemized list must include: Written notice of the grounds for keeping money, with written evidence of the costs, such as estimates, invoices or receipts. (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c))
Hawaii's deposit statute does not separately define normal wear and tear. See what counts as normal wear and tear for how it is generally treated.
More on common charges: normal wear and tear, cleaning, painting, and a missing itemized list.
Is there a limit on security deposits in Hawaii?
A landlord may not collect a deposit of more than one month's rent. (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(b))
A separate pet deposit of up to one month's rent is allowed for a resident pet.
Taking a deposit case to small claims court in Hawaii
Small-claims limit: Hawaii small claims covers $5,000 or less, but suits to recover a residential security deposit have no dollar limit. (Hawaii small claims rules)
Most deposit disputes never get that far. A clear demand letter, sent by certified mail, often settles them first.
Good to know
- A suit to recover the deposit must be filed within one year after the rental agreement ends (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c)).
What to do if your Hawaii landlord kept your deposit
- Pin down your dates. When you moved out, returned the keys, and gave a forwarding address in writing. Compare them with the deadline above.
- Gather your evidence. Move-in and move-out photos, the lease, the landlord's list of deductions, receipts and messages. The case checklist covers what matters.
- Send a demand letter by certified mail. Ask for the money, cite Hawaii's rules, and give a deadline to pay. What a demand letter does.
- If they still don't pay, consider small claims court. You don't need a lawyer there.
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Sources
These rules come from the same verified table the Demand Letter Companion uses, checked against the sources below on October 25, 2026. Laws change; check the current official text before relying on a date.
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44: data.capitol.hawaii.gov
Other states: see the guides for all 50 states and DC
This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Local ordinances can add rules, and your lease and facts matter. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in Hawaii.