RR
Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-56

Disposition of tenant's abandoned possessions.

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

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-56
(a) When the tenant, within the meaning of section 521-70(d) or section 521-44(d), has wrongfully quit the premises, or when the tenant has quit the premises pursuant to a notice to quit or upon the natural expiration of the term, and has abandoned personalty which the landlord, in good faith, determines to be of value, in or around the premises, the landlord may sell such personalty, in a commercially reasonable manner, store such personalty at the tenant's expense, or donate such personalty to a charitable organization. Before selling or donating such personalty, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to apprise the tenant of the identity and location of, and the landlord's intent to sell or donate such personalty by mailing notice to the tenant's forwarding address, or to an address designated by the tenant for the purpose of notification or if neither of these is available, to the tenant's previous known address. Following such notice, the landlord may sell the personalty after advertising the sale in a daily paper of general circulation within the circuit in which the premises is located for at least three consecutive days, or the landlord may donate the personalty to a charitable organization; provided that such sale or donation shall not take place until fifteen days after notice is mailed, after which the tenant is deemed to have received notice.
(b) The proceeds of the sale of personalty under subsection (a) shall, after deduction of accrued rent and costs of storage and sale, including the cost of advertising, be held in trust for the tenant for thirty days, after which time the proceeds shall be forfeited to the landlord.
(c) When the tenant has quit the premises any personalty in or around the premises left unsold after conformance to subsection (a) or otherwise left abandoned by the tenant and determined by the landlord to be of no value may be disposed of at the landlord's discretion without liability to the landlord. [L 1974, c 180, §6; am L 1981, c 154, §1]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-56 governs what happens to personal property a tenant leaves behind after vacating a rental unit. If the landlord determines the abandoned items have value, the landlord must notify the tenant by mail and wait at least fifteen days before selling the items through an advertised sale or donating them to charity; alternatively, the landlord may store the items at the tenant's expense. Any sale proceeds, after deducting unpaid rent and costs, must be held in trust for the tenant for thirty days before the landlord may keep them. Items the landlord in good faith determines to have no value may be discarded without further process.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 521-56, operators who discover abandoned personal property after a tenant vacates must first make a good-faith determination of whether the items have value before choosing a course of action. Compliant landlords mail notice to the tenant's forwarding, designated, or last-known address and wait the full fifteen-day period before conducting an advertised sale or charitable donation. Sale proceeds are tracked separately, with deductions for accrued rent, storage, and advertising costs documented, and any remaining balance held in trust for thirty days in case the tenant claims it.

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

For Tenants

Section § 521-56 gives tenants a meaningful window to reclaim personal property or proceeds after moving out: landlords must mail notice and wait at least fifteen days before selling or donating items they consider valuable. If a sale occurs, the net proceeds must be held in trust for thirty days, during which a former tenant may have grounds to claim that money. Tenants who believe a landlord failed to follow these notice or holding requirements may consider raising the violation through Hawaii's court system or by consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with state landlord-tenant law.

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. § 521-70
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44

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_0521-0056.htm
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