RR
Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-70

Landlord's remedies for absence, misuse, abandonment and failure to honor tenancy before occupancy.

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

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-70
(a) If the rental agreement provides for notification of the landlord by the tenant of an anticipated extended absence and the tenant fails to make reasonable efforts to comply with such requirement, the tenant shall indemnify the landlord for any damage resulting from such absence.
(b) The landlord may, during any extended absence of the tenant, enter the dwelling unit as reasonably necessary for purposes of inspection, maintenance, and safe-keeping or for the purposes permitted by section 521-53(a).
(c) Unless otherwise provided in the rental agreement, use of the dwelling unit by the tenant for any other purpose than as the tenant's abode, or nonuse of the dwelling unit, constitutes a breach of the tenant's obligations under section 521-52 and entitles the landlord to proceed as provided in section 521-72.
(d) If the tenant wrongfully quits the dwelling unit and unequivocally indicates by words or deeds the tenant's intention not to resume the tenancy, the tenant shall be liable to the landlord for the lesser of the following amounts for such abandonment:
(1) The entire rent due for the remainder of the term; or
(2) All rent accrued during the period reasonably necessary to re-rent the dwelling unit at the fair rental, plus the difference between such fair rent and the rent agreed to in the prior rental agreement and a reasonable commission for the renting of the dwelling unit. This paragraph applies if the amount calculated hereunder is less than the amount calculated under paragraph (1) whether or not the landlord re-rents the dwelling unit.
(e) If the tenant unequivocally indicates by words or deeds the tenant's intention not to honor the tenancy before occupancy, the tenant shall be liable to the landlord for the lesser of the following amounts:
(1) All moneys deposited with the landlord;
(2) One month's rent at the rate agreed upon in the rental agreement;
(3) All rent accrued from the agreed date for the commencement of the tenancy until the dwelling unit is re-rented at the fair rental, plus the difference between such fair rent and the rent agreed to in the prior rental agreement, plus reasonable costs, and a reasonable commission for the re-renting of the dwelling unit. This paragraph applies if the amount calculated hereunder is less than the amounts calculated under paragraphs (1) or (2), whether or not the landlord re-rents the dwelling unit. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1; am L 1974, c 180, §5; gen ch 1985]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-70 addresses several scenarios involving tenant absence, misuse, or abandonment of a rental unit. If a lease requires the tenant to notify the landlord of an extended absence and the tenant fails to do so, the tenant may owe the landlord for any resulting damages. When a tenant wrongfully abandons a unit or signals before move-in that they will not honor the tenancy, the statute sets out a formula for calculating the lesser of several possible damage amounts owed to the landlord.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-70, property owners and managers generally document any lease clause requiring tenant notification of extended absences and keep records of any damages that arise from an unreported absence. During a tenant's extended absence, operators may enter the unit as reasonably necessary for inspection, maintenance, or safekeeping consistent with the access rules in § 521-53(a). When a tenant abandons the unit or repudiates the tenancy before move-in, compliant operators typically track re-renting timelines, fair market rental rates, and any commissions incurred, since the statute caps liability at the lesser of the calculated damage formulas.

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. § 521-70 outlines obligations and potential financial exposure for tenants who are absent for extended periods, misuse the unit, or abandon the tenancy. Tenants who have a lease clause requiring absence notification should be aware that failing to comply can result in liability for damages the landlord suffers as a result. Tenants who believe a landlord is improperly calculating abandonment damages or misapplying this provision may wish to review the statute's damage formulas carefully and consider reaching out to a tenant-rights organization or the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection for general guidance.

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
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-72

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_0521-0070.htm
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