Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516 § 516-65
Extension.
Operative Text
From time to time during the first twenty years of the term of any lease, the lessee shall have the right to extend the lease term to fifty-five years, commencing on the first day of the calendar month in which the lessee gives written notice thereof to the lessor, subject to the following conditions: (1) At the time the right to extend the lease is exercised, the unexpired term of the lease is less than fifty years; (2) The extension is for the purpose of mortgaging the leasehold interest; (3) The lessee is not then in default in any respect under the lease; and (4) The notice is accompanied by payment of a reasonable service charge. This section applies only to leases executed and effective subsequent to June 24, 1967. [L 1967, c 307, §38; HRS §516-65]
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 516-65 establishes a conditional right for residential lessees to extend their lease term up to fifty-five years during the first twenty years of the lease. This extension right exists specifically to enable the lessee to mortgage the leasehold interest, and it can only be exercised when the remaining lease term is under fifty years, the lessee is current on all lease obligations, and a reasonable service charge accompanies the written notice. The provision applies only to leases that were executed and took effect after June 24, 1967.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516-65, lessors of qualifying leasehold properties should be prepared to honor a lessee's written extension request when all four statutory conditions are satisfied: the request arrives within the first twenty years of the lease, the unexpired term is under fifty years, the lessee is not in default, and a reasonable service charge is included. Compliant lessors typically maintain clear records of the lease commencement date, track the lessee's payment and compliance history, and establish a documented service charge amount so that any extension request can be processed consistently. Because the extension right is tied to a specific financing purpose—mortgaging the leasehold—operators generally confirm that the lessee's stated purpose aligns with the statute before processing the extension.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516-65 gives eligible lessees a right to extend their lease to a fifty-five-year term, which can be important when seeking financing secured by a leasehold interest. To exercise this right, a lessee must act within the first twenty years of the lease, ensure no defaults exist under the lease at the time of the request, and submit written notice along with a reasonable service charge. Tenants who believe a lessor has improperly refused a valid extension request may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or a housing attorney familiar with Hawaii leasehold law to understand the options available under this provision.
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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