Haw. Rev. Stat. § 356D § 356D-155
Determination of eligibility of tenants and rental charges.
Operative Text
(a) For purposes of carrying out this part, the authority shall establish criteria and procedures for determining the eligibility of tenants and rental charges, including criteria and procedures with respect to periodic review of the tenant's income and periodic adjustment of rental charges. The authority shall issue, upon the request of a housing owner, certificates as to the income of the individuals and families applying for admission to, or residing in, dwellings of that owner. (b) Procedures adopted by the authority hereunder shall provide for recertification of the incomes of tenants, except elders, at intervals of two years, or at shorter intervals, for the purpose of adjusting rental charges and annual payments on the basis of tenants' incomes, but in no event shall rental charges adjusted under this part for any dwelling exceed the fair market rental of the dwelling. (c) No payments under this part may be made with respect to any property for which the costs of operation, including wages and salaries, are determined by the authority to be greater than similar costs of operation of similar housing in the community where the property is situated. [L 2006, c 180, pt of §2]
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 356D-155 establishes a framework under which the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (the "authority") sets the rules for determining which tenants qualify for assisted housing and what rental charges they pay. Tenant incomes must be recertified at least every two years (or more frequently), and rental charges may be adjusted based on those income reviews — but can never exceed the fair market rental of the dwelling. Elders are exempt from the two-year recertification requirement. Additionally, the authority will not make payments for properties whose operating costs, including wages and salaries, exceed those of comparable housing in the same community.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 356D-155, housing owners participating in this program can request that the authority issue income certificates for applicants or current residents, which helps document eligibility. Compliant operators keep their operating costs — including wages and salaries — in line with those of comparable housing in the community, since costs deemed excessive by the authority can disqualify a property from receiving payments under this part. Owners should also be prepared to cooperate with the authority's periodic income recertification process, as rental charge adjustments flow directly from those reviews.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 356D-155 gives tenants in authority-assisted housing the right to have their income reviewed periodically — at least every two years for non-elder tenants — and to have their rental charges adjusted accordingly, with a firm ceiling at the fair market rental of the dwelling. Elders have a distinct status under this provision and are not subject to the standard two-year recertification interval. Tenants who believe their income has not been properly considered, or that their rental charge exceeds the fair market rental, may wish to contact the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation directly or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 23, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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