RR
Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-36

Effect of termination.

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

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-36
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, whenever a landlord or tenant exercises a right to terminate a rental agreement, the obligations of each party to the rental agreement shall cease upon the final discharge of all obligations imposed by the rental agreement and by this chapter. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-36, when either a landlord or a tenant lawfully ends a rental agreement, the legal duties that each party owes the other do not simply vanish at the moment of termination. Instead, those obligations continue until every duty created by both the rental agreement itself and Chapter 521 has been fully satisfied. Only after that complete discharge are both parties released from their respective responsibilities.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 521-36, a compliant property owner or manager recognizes that terminating a tenancy does not immediately erase outstanding duties such as returning security deposits, completing required notices, or addressing any unresolved habitability matters required by Chapter 521. Operators generally document the condition of the unit, account for all deposits, and fulfill any remaining statutory obligations before treating the tenancy as fully closed. Maintaining clear records through the wind-down period helps demonstrate that all obligations were discharged as required.

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

For Tenants

Section 521-36 means that a tenant's rights under the rental agreement and Chapter 521 do not necessarily end the moment a termination notice takes effect — the landlord's duties persist until fully performed. For example, obligations such as the return of a security deposit or the resolution of repair-related claims may survive the formal end of the tenancy. Tenants who believe a landlord has failed to complete those obligations after termination may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization or Hawaii's state housing resources to understand available remedies.

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

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

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_0521-0036.htm
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Fetched:Oct 23, 2026, 07:05 AM UTC
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