Haw. Rev. Stat. § 516D § 516D-11
Residential lease; disclosure.
Operative Text
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, for any sale of a condominium or a cooperative residential leasehold apartment or unit, no later than ten calendar days after the acceptance of the deposit, receipt, offer, and acceptance contract (DROA) or other similar contract, the seller, either directly or through the seller's agent, shall provide to the buyer for the buyer's approval and acceptance one of the following lease documents which provide the major provisions of the lease, such as the length of the lease, lease rent terms, lease rent renegotiation dates, how renegotiated lease rents will be calculated, and surrender clause provisions: (1) Master lease and any amendments thereto; (2) Apartment or unit lease and any amendments thereto; or (3) For initial buyers of condominium apartments or units only, an unexpired preliminary, final or supplemental condominium property regime public report. A sale for the purposes of this subsection shall not be deemed to include any transfer to a co-owner, or to a spouse, parent, or child of the seller, or to any transfer by devise, descent, court order, or by operation of law, including but not limited to any transfer by foreclosure, bankruptcy, or partition sale. Upon receipt of the applicable lease document, the buyer shall have ten calendar days to review, accept or reject the terms of the lease. (b) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection (a), the buyer, on resale of the unit, shall acknowledge receipt of the lease documents specified in subsection (a) through a signed receipt or a signed DROA or other contract. The receipt or contract shall include at least the following information: (1) A standardized summary, as set forth on the optional standardized summary form in this chapter or in a form similar to the optional standardized summary form, of the lease provisions in plain language which shall contain information on the following: the length of the lease, lease rent terms, lease rent renegotiation dates, how renegotiated lease rents will be calculated; and surrender clause provisions; (2) A standardized glossary, satisfied by use of a Hawaii governmental publication, of commonly used lease terms in plain language; (3) A statement that there are currently no statutory provisions for the mandatory conversion of leasehold condominiums and cooperatives, and that there are no assurances that such measures will be enacted in the future; and (4) A statement that the buyer has read and understands the provisions of the standardized summary of the lease provisions. (c) Within ten calendar days of acknowledged receipt of the contract specified in subsection (a), the buyer shall have the right to cancel the offer to purchase with no loss of deposit. (d) The seller and buyer, on a standardized form, may agree to reduce or extend the time period provided herein for the production and review of the applicable lease documents; provided that the agreement shall not constitute a waiver of the requirement to provide the applicable lease documents to the buyer. Buyers other than natural persons may waive, in writing, all the requirements of this section. [L 1989, c 168, pt of §4; ree L 1990, c 277, pt of §1; am L 1991, c 276, §6; am L 2008, c 28, §37]
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 516D-11 establishes a disclosure process for the sale of condominium or cooperative residential leasehold apartments and units. Within ten calendar days of a signed purchase contract, the seller must provide the buyer with key lease documents — such as the master lease or apartment lease and any amendments — covering major terms like lease length, rent amounts, renegotiation dates, and surrender clauses. The buyer then has ten calendar days to review those documents and, if unsatisfied, may cancel the purchase contract without losing their deposit. Certain transfers, such as those between family members or by court order, are exempt from these requirements.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 516D-11, sellers of leasehold condominium or cooperative units generally ensure that the required lease documents — along with a plain-language summary, a standardized glossary, and the required statutory statements — are delivered to the buyer within ten calendar days of contract acceptance. Compliant sellers also use a signed receipt or signed contract to document the buyer's acknowledgment of those materials. Sellers and buyers may use a standardized form to adjust the review timeline, but doing so does not eliminate the underlying obligation to furnish the lease documents.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
As a buyer of a leasehold condominium or cooperative unit, § 516D-11 gives you the right to receive complete lease documents — including a plain-language summary of key terms — within ten calendar days of signing a purchase contract. If you do not receive those materials, or if you find the lease terms unacceptable after reviewing them, you generally have the right to cancel your offer within ten calendar days of acknowledged receipt without forfeiting your deposit. Tenant-rights organizations or a Hawaii real estate attorney can help you understand what options may be available if a seller does not comply with these disclosure requirements.
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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