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Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-37

Subleases and assignments.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 10/30/2026
effective 10/23/2026HawaiiSublet Rights

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-37
(a) Unless otherwise agreed to in a written rental agreement and except as otherwise provided in this section, the tenant may sublet the tenant's dwelling unit or assign the rental agreement to another without the landlord's consent.
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a tenant of a dwelling unit administered, owned, or subsidized by the United States, the State, a county, or any agency thereof.
(c) A written rental agreement may provide that the tenant's right to sublet the tenant's dwelling unit or assign the rental agreement is subject to the consent of the landlord. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1; gen ch 1985]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-37 establishes the default rule that tenants may sublet their dwelling unit or assign their rental agreement to another person without needing the landlord's approval, unless the written rental agreement says otherwise. However, this default right does not apply to tenants living in housing that is administered, owned, or subsidized by federal, state, or county government agencies. If a written lease includes a clause requiring landlord consent before subletting or assigning, that clause is enforceable under § 521-37(c).

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 521-37, landlords who wish to control subletting or assignment must include an explicit consent requirement in the written rental agreement — without such a clause, tenants generally have the right to sublet or assign without approval. Operators of privately owned, unsubsidized units should review their lease templates to confirm whether a consent provision is present and clearly worded. Landlords overseeing government-administered or subsidized housing should be aware that § 521-37(b) removes the default subletting right for those tenants entirely, which may interact with separate program rules.

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

For Tenants

Section § 521-37 of Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code gives most private-market tenants a default right to sublet or assign their unit without landlord consent, unless the written lease specifically requires it. Tenants living in government-owned, administered, or subsidized housing do not have this default right under § 521-37(b) and should look to their specific program rules. Tenants who believe a landlord is improperly blocking a sublet or assignment in a situation where no written consent clause exists may wish to review their lease carefully and consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider for general information about their options.

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

§ 10-A
Right to sublease
§ 226-B
Right to sublease or assign
§ 1951.4

Source Information

Source:https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0037.htm
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