RR
Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-45

Limitation of landlord and management liability.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 10/30/2026
effective 10/23/2026HawaiiNotices & Entry

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-45
(a) Unless otherwise agreed, a landlord who conveys premises which include a dwelling unit subject to a rental agreement in a good faith sale to a person not connected with the landlord discloses, in writing, in any form of contract for the sale of such premises is relieved of liability under the rental agreement and under this chapter as to events occurring subsequent to the conveyance.
(b) The new owner who purchases the premises referred to in subsection (a) is liable under the rental agreement and under this chapter.
(c) Unless otherwise agreed, a person who is a manager of premises which include a dwelling unit subject to a rental agreement is relieved of liability under the rental agreement and under this chapter as to events occurring subsequent to the termination of the person's management. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1; am L 1976, c 90, §3; gen ch 1985]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-45, when a landlord sells rental property in a good-faith transaction to an unrelated buyer and discloses the rental agreement in writing within the sales contract, the original landlord is released from obligations and liabilities arising after the sale closes. The new owner steps into the landlord's shoes and becomes fully responsible under both the rental agreement and Hawaii's residential landlord-tenant law. Similarly, a property manager who stops managing a rental property is released from liability for events that occur after their management ends.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-45 outlines the steps a selling landlord generally takes to achieve a clean transfer of liability: the sale must be made in good faith to an unrelated buyer, and the existence of the rental agreement must be disclosed in writing within the sales contract itself. Operators who are transitioning management responsibilities typically document the end date of their management role clearly, since liability relief under this section applies only to events occurring after that termination. Incoming owners should be aware that they assume full responsibility under existing rental agreements and Hawaii's landlord-tenant chapter from the moment of conveyance.

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

For Tenants

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-45 means that when your rental property is sold or changes management, your lease and the protections of Hawaii's residential landlord-tenant law continue — the new owner or incoming manager simply takes over the prior party's obligations. If a dispute arises about who is responsible for events before or after a sale or management change, the timing of the conveyance or management termination is the key dividing line under this provision. Tenants who believe a new owner or outgoing manager is improperly denying responsibility may find it useful to consult a tenant-rights organization or review the written sale or management records to clarify when the transition occurred.

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

§ 3
Written notice of identity and address of foreclosing owner
§ 165.05
NOTICES
§ 8.60.080
Failure to pay fines

Source Information

Source:https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0045.htm
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