Hawaii security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Hawaii. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Hawaii
- Return timing
- 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.
- Accounting for deductions
- The written notice must set out the particulars of and grounds for any retention, including written evidence of the costs - the DCCA handbook instructs itemization with copies of receipts or estimates.
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗What starts the return clock?
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.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
The statute requires 'written evidence of the costs'; the official DCCA handbook reads this as itemized costs with copies of receipts included.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗What could you recover?
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.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(h), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Filing: $35 filing + service costs. The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Hawaii deposit rights
How long does a Hawaii landlord have to return a security deposit?
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.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Hawaii?
Without the required notice/return within 14 days, the landlord is not entitled to retain any part of the deposit. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Hawaii?
The written notice must set out the particulars of and grounds for any retention, including written evidence of the costs - the DCCA handbook instructs itemization with copies of receipts or estimates. The statute requires 'written evidence of the costs'; the official DCCA handbook reads this as itemized costs with copies of receipts included.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 ↗