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Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515 § 515-1

Construction.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 10/30/2026
effective 10/23/2026HawaiiLease Requirements

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515 § 515-1
This chapter shall be construed according to the fair import of its terms and shall be liberally construed. [L 1967, c 193, pt of §1; HRS §515-1]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 515-1 establishes a foundational interpretive rule for the entire Chapter 515, which governs fair housing and discriminatory practices in real estate. Under this provision, courts and agencies are directed to read the chapter's language according to its plain, reasonable meaning and to interpret it broadly rather than narrowly. This liberal construction principle means that ambiguities in the chapter's terms are generally resolved in favor of the chapter's protective purposes rather than in favor of a restrictive reading.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 23, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating in Hawaii should be aware that Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-1 instructs decision-makers to interpret Chapter 515's fair housing requirements expansively. Compliant operators typically err on the side of caution when a practice or policy might touch on the chapter's protections, recognizing that ambiguous situations are unlikely to be resolved in favor of a narrow reading. Staying informed about the full scope of Chapter 515's requirements is a common practice among operators who seek to remain in compliance.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-1 is significant for tenants because it means the fair housing protections found throughout Chapter 515 are meant to be read broadly and applied generously. If a landlord's conduct falls in a gray area of the chapter's protections, this provision supports an interpretation that favors the chapter's anti-discrimination purposes. Tenants who believe their rights under Chapter 515 have been violated may consider reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization or a fair housing agency to understand what enforcement paths may be available.

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.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 23, 2026
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References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-9
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-9
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-4
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-8
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-4
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-8
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-7
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-13
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-3
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-13
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-3

Related Rules

§ 244.280
Tenant to be given copy of lease
§ 151.35
SEVERABILITY
§ 165.12
SEVERABILITY

Source Information

Source:https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0515/HRS_0515-0001.htm
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