Hawaii · Security deposits · Updated Oct 2026

Hawaii security deposit law

How much a landlord in Hawaii can charge, the deadline to return a deposit, what may be deducted, the penalty for keeping it wrongly and how to get yours back.

Short answer

In Hawaii, the deposit limit is: One month's rent. The landlord must return it as follows: Within 14 days after the rental agreement ends.

deposit limit: 1 month's rent (with exceptions)
to return a deposit: 14 days
deposit penalty: Up to 3× (willful)

Security deposit in Hawaii

Limit: One month's rent. If you have a pet, the landlord may also ask for a pet deposit of up to one more month's rent (not for an assistance animal). At move-in the landlord may collect only the first month's rent and the deposit.
Deadline to return it: Within 14 days after the rental agreement ends. Mailing to an address you gave the landlord, postmarked by the 14th day, counts. Sue within 1 year after the lease ends.
Itemized list: Yes. To keep any part, the landlord must send written notice within 14 days with the details and reasons, plus written evidence of the costs (estimates, invoices or receipts). If the landlord does not, they must return the whole deposit.
What may be deducted: Only: damage you caused beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent, unreturned keys, fobs, parking cards and openers, cleaning to return the unit to move-in condition, losses if you wrongfully quit the unit, pet damage, and unpaid landlord-provided utilities owed under the lease. You can use the deposit as last month's rent only if the landlord agrees in writing and you gave 45 days' notice.
Interest: No. Hawaii law does not require interest.
Separate account: No. Deposits may be commingled, but your claim to the deposit comes before the landlord's creditors.
Move-in checklist: Yes. Before you move in, the landlord must make a written inventory of the unit's condition and furnishings, signed by both of you (§ 521-42(a)). If the landlord does not, the unit is presumed to have been in the same condition at move-out as at move-in unless the landlord proves otherwise (OCP Handbook).
If the landlord keeps it wrongly: If the landlord wrongfully and willfully kept the deposit, the small claims court may award you three times the amount wrongfully kept, plus costs. If wrongfully but not willfully kept, you get the amount wrongfully kept plus costs. Deposit disputes go to small claims court, where there is no dollar limit for deposit cases.
Law: HRS § 521-44

Get your deposit back, step by step

Before you move out, clean, take dated photos and video of every room, and return all keys.
Give your landlord your new address in writing. In Hawaii: the rule above says where the landlord sends the deposit.
Wait for the deadline: Within 14 days after the rental agreement ends.
If the money or an itemized list doesn't come, or the deductions are wrong, send a demand letter (below). Keep proof of mailing.
If that doesn't work, sue in small claims court. Limit: $5,000, not counting interest and costs; residential security deposit cases have no dollar limit. Small claims court in Hawaii on Small Claims Map

Deposit return calculator for Hawaii

Find your state's deadline for returning a security deposit, whether your landlord is late and what you may be owed. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Security deposit demand letter for Hawaii

A short, firm and polite letter asking your landlord to return your deposit by a date. It cites your state's deposit law. Many landlords pay at this step, and the letter is proof that you asked. Fill this in, download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail with a return receipt.

Small claims court in Hawaii

Deposit disputes usually go to small claims court, where you don't need a lawyer. Limit: $5,000, not counting interest and costs; residential security deposit cases have no dollar limit.

How to file in Hawaii

Questions about security deposits in Hawaii

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Hawaii?

One month's rent. If you have a pet, the landlord may also ask for a pet deposit of up to one more month's rent (not for an assistance animal). At move-in the landlord may collect only the first month's rent and the deposit.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Hawaii?

Within 14 days after the rental agreement ends. Mailing to an address you gave the landlord, postmarked by the 14th day, counts. Sue within 1 year after the lease ends.

What can I do if my landlord won't return my deposit in Hawaii?

If the landlord wrongfully and willfully kept the deposit, the small claims court may award you three times the amount wrongfully kept, plus costs. If wrongfully but not willfully kept, you get the amount wrongfully kept plus costs. Deposit disputes go to small claims court, where there is no dollar limit for deposit cases.

What can a landlord deduct from a security deposit in Hawaii?

Only: damage you caused beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent, unreturned keys, fobs, parking cards and openers, cleaning to return the unit to move-in condition, losses if you wrongfully quit the unit, pet damage, and unpaid landlord-provided utilities owed under the lease. You can use the deposit as last month's rent only if the landlord agrees in writing and you gave 45 days' notice.

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Hawaii?

No. Hawaii law does not require interest.

What is the small claims limit in Hawaii?

$5,000, not counting interest and costs; residential security deposit cases have no dollar limit.

More for Hawaii renters

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Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.