Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516 § 516-64
Forfeiture.
Operative Text
No forfeiture of the lessee's interest in a leasehold shall be declared by the lessor for the lessee's failure to pay the rent or otherwise to perform the lessee's obligations under the lease, unless the lessor has given written notification to the lessee of the default and has given the lessee at least thirty days within which to correct the default. [L 1967, c 307, §37; HRS §516-64; gen ch 1985]
Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516-64, a lessor cannot terminate or forfeit a lessee's leasehold interest — whether for unpaid rent or any other breach of the lease — without first providing written notice of the default. The lessee must then be given at least thirty days to cure the problem before any forfeiture can take effect. This rule establishes a mandatory procedural step that must precede any forfeiture action under Hawaii leasehold law.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 516-64, a compliant lessor ensures that any default notice is delivered in writing and clearly identifies the nature of the breach before any forfeiture proceeding is initiated. The notice must afford the lessee a minimum of thirty days to correct the identified default. Operators who skip or abbreviate this written-notice-and-cure period risk having a forfeiture action invalidated for failure to follow the statutory procedure.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516-64 provides leaseholders with a procedural protection: a lessor must give written notice of any default and allow at least thirty days to cure it before a forfeiture of the leasehold interest can be declared. If a lessor attempts to forfeit a leasehold without following this notice-and-cure process, a tenant may be able to raise the procedural deficiency as a defense. Tenants who believe this protection has not been honored may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with Hawaii leasehold law.
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
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation