Hawaii security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Hawaii law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Hawaii
Match retained amounts to written cost evidence
Hawaii's return and written notice period is 14 days after termination. Check the postmark as well as the arrival date before asserting a late mailing.
What records should support deductions?
The statute requires 'written evidence of the costs'; the official DCCA handbook reads this as itemized costs with copies of receipts included.
Make the free template yours.
Choose your situation, then add your figures. No account or payment. Unfilled details stay in brackets for you to edit.
Add names, addresses and sending details
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Read your draft letter
[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44: The deposit (or remainder) plus the written itemized notice must be returned within 14 days after termination; mailing with proof postmarked by midnight of the 14th day is presumptive compliance. REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Haw. Rev. Stat. 521-44(h), wrongful and wilful retention may support a court award of three times the amount so retained, together with costs of suit. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in small claims court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Hawaii example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Hawaii case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Hawaii sample letter
Fictional Hawaii case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Hawaii rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 (Hawaii Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: The deposit (or remainder) plus the written itemized notice must be returned within 14 days after termination; mailing with proof postmarked by midnight of the 14th day is presumptive compliance.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under Haw. Rev. Stat. 521-44(h), wrongful and wilful retention may support a court award of three times the amount so retained, together with costs of suit. I reserve the right to seek that remedy if its conditions are established in court.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in small claims court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Ask for the particulars of each retained amount and the written evidence of its cost. Include the inspection record and identify which claimed work your photos contradict.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Compare the notice, cost evidence and refund together. Keep the original envelope: timely mailing can matter even when you receive it later.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Hawaii filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Hawaii letter refer to?
The deposit (or remainder) plus the written itemized notice must be returned within 14 days after termination; mailing with proof postmarked by midnight of the 14th day is presumptive compliance. Without the required notice/return within 14 days, the landlord is not entitled to retain any part of the deposit.
What penalties does Hawaii law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Wrongful retention: the tenant recovers the amount wrongfully retained plus costs of suit. If retention was both wrongful and wilful, the court may award three times the amount wrongfully and wilfully retained plus costs (HRS § 521-44). Deposit suits must be filed within one year of termination.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court. Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Hawaii filing steps and court forms →