RR
Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-3

Supplementary general principles of law, other laws, applicable.

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

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-3
(a) Unless displaced by the particular provisions of this chapter, the principles of law and equity, including the law relative to capacity to contract, principal and agent, real property, public health, safety and fire prevention, estoppel, fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, mistake, bankruptcy, or other validating or invalidating cause supplement its provisions.
(b) Every legal right, remedy, and obligation arising out of a rental agreement not provided for in this chapter shall be regulated and determined under chapter 666, and in the case of conflict between any provision of this chapter and a provision of chapter 666, this chapter shall control.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be applied to interfere with any right, obligation, duty, requirement, or remedy of a landlord or tenant which is established as a condition or requirement of any program receiving subsidy from the government of the United States. To the extent that any provision of this chapter is inconsistent with such a federal condition or requirement then as to such subsidized project the federal condition or requirement shall control.
(d) An association under chapter 514B shall have standing to initiate and prosecute a summary proceeding for possession against a tenant residing in the condominium project who repeatedly violates the association's governing documents or the rights of other occupants to quiet enjoyment and whose landlord refuses to act; provided that in such cases, the landlord shall be named as an additional party defendant. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1; am L 2004, c 164, §3; am L 2008, c 28, §24; am L 2017, c 181, §36]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-3 establishes that the Landlord-Tenant Code does not operate in isolation — general principles of law and equity (such as contract law, fraud, and property law) continue to apply wherever this chapter does not specifically address them. Rights and remedies not covered by Chapter 521 are governed by Chapter 666, Hawaii's summary possession statute, with Chapter 521 taking precedence in any conflict. Federal program requirements override Chapter 521 for subsidized housing, and condominium associations may pursue possession proceedings against tenants who repeatedly violate governing documents or disturb quiet enjoyment when the landlord fails to act.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 521-3, operators of rental properties in Hawaii should be aware that their obligations extend beyond the explicit text of Chapter 521 — general legal principles such as contract formation, fraud, and agency law remain in force. Landlords participating in federally subsidized housing programs must comply with applicable federal conditions, which take precedence over Chapter 521 where the two conflict. Landlords in condominium projects governed by Chapter 514B should also note that a homeowners association may initiate possession proceedings and name the landlord as a defendant if the landlord fails to address a tenant's repeated violations of governing documents.

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

For Tenants

Section § 521-3 means that tenants in Hawaii retain rights and remedies drawn from broader legal principles — including protections against fraud, misrepresentation, and duress — even when those rights are not spelled out in Chapter 521. Tenants in federally subsidized housing should be aware that federal program requirements may provide additional or different protections that supersede state law under this provision. Tenants facing possession actions initiated by a condominium association under this section may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand how the landlord's role as a named defendant affects their situation.

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
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 666
Not yet ingested
Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 514B
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-70
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-70
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-62
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-43
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-72
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-63
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-80
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-80
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44

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/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0003.htm
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