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Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-79

Definitions.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 10/30/2026
effective 10/23/2026HawaiiVAWA & Survivor Protections

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-79
For the purposes of this part, "domestic violence" shall have the same meaning as "domestic abuse" as defined in section 586-1. [L 2015, c 220, pt of §1]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-79 establishes that the term 'domestic violence,' as used in this part of the residential landlord-tenant law, carries the same legal meaning as 'domestic abuse' defined elsewhere in Hawaii law under section 586-1. This cross-reference ensures consistent terminology between the state's tenant-protection provisions and its existing domestic abuse statutes. The definition serves as a foundational element for other provisions in this part that address tenant rights related to domestic violence situations.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-79, property owners and managers should be aware that any reference to 'domestic violence' in this part of Hawaii's landlord-tenant law is governed by the definition of 'domestic abuse' found in section 586-1. Compliant operators familiarize themselves with that cross-referenced definition so they can correctly apply related provisions in this part. Understanding this defined term is a baseline step for properly administering any lease provisions or tenant requests that invoke domestic violence protections.

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. § 521-79 anchors the meaning of 'domestic violence' in Hawaii's residential landlord-tenant law to the established legal definition of 'domestic abuse' under section 586-1. Tenants who believe they qualify under this definition may have access to specific protections provided elsewhere in this part of the law. Tenant-rights organizations in Hawaii can help individuals understand whether their circumstances fall within the scope of this definition and what related protections may be available.

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. § 586-1
Not yet ingested

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

§ 25
Refusal of rental agreement or assistance based on termination of rental agreement under Sec. 24 or request for change of lock under Sec. 26 prohibited
§ 26
Change of locks upon request of tenant, co-tenant or household member believed to be under imminent threat of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault or stalking
§ 47a-7b
Request to change dwelling unit locks when tenant is named as a protected person in a protective or restraining order.

Source Information

Source:https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0079.htm
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Fetched:Oct 23, 2026, 07:08 AM UTC
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