How Long Does a Landlord Have to Return a Deposit in Hawaii?
In Hawaii, a landlord has 14 calendar days to return a security deposit. The deadline is measured from this trigger: After the termination of the rental agreement. The verified penalty formula is failure to furnish required written notice/itemization within 14 days: landlord forfeits right to retain any part of deposit and must return entire deposit; if court finds wrongful and wilful retention, damages may equal three times the amount wrongfully and wilfully retained plus costs; if wrongful (not wilful), damages equal the amount wrongfully retained plus costs under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44.
Key facts
| Deadline | 14 calendar days |
|---|---|
| Deadline trigger | after the termination of the rental agreement |
| Penalty formula | failure to furnish required written notice/itemization within 14 days: landlord forfeits right to retain any part of deposit and must return entire deposit; if court finds wrongful and wilful retention, damages may equal three times the amount wrongfully and wilfully retained plus costs; if wrongful (not wilful), damages equal the amount wrongfully retained plus costs |
| Bad faith required | No |
| Statute citation | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 |
Statute says
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. If the landlord does not furnish the tenant with the written notice and other information required by this subsection, within fourteen days after the termination of the rental agreement, the landlord shall not be entitled to retain the security deposit or any part of it, and the landlord shall return the entire amount of the security deposit to the tenant.
What this means
Read the deadline, trigger, and penalty together. Match the date you can prove to the trigger above, then compare the landlord's response to the rule in Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44.
FAQ
Does Urban Honolulu have its own security deposit law?
No separate city security-deposit ordinance is listed in the verified data. Check the applicable Hawaii law and local rules.
What happens if a landlord misses the Hawaii deposit deadline?
The verified penalty formula is failure to furnish required written notice/itemization within 14 days: landlord forfeits right to retain any part of deposit and must return entire deposit; if court finds wrongful and wilful retention, damages may equal three times the amount wrongfully and wilfully retained plus costs; if wrongful (not wilful), damages equal the amount wrongfully retained plus costs under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44. Keep the move-out date, forwarding address records, and any itemized statement before you act.
Does a demand letter change the legal deadline?
No. The deadline is still 14 calendar days. The deadline trigger is After the termination of the rental agreement. A letter documents the timeline and asks the landlord to resolve the deposit before the next step.
If the deadline passed
Send the letter that starts the clock and keeps the demand tied to the verified Hawaii deadline.
If the landlord stays silent, review landlord ignoring the deadline before choosing the next step.