Hawaii Eviction Notice Law
Hawaii's notice period for unpaid rent is 10 days (10-calendar-day notice to pay rent (with prelitigation mediation notice)). For a lease violation it is 10 days, and the tenant gets a chance to fix the problem.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
Not legal advice. A defective notice can restart an eviction case; ask a Hawaii attorney or court self-help center before serving one. See our disclaimer.
Hawaii eviction notice rules at a glance
Upcoming change
- The mediation pilot ends: § 521-68 returns to its pre-2026 text, except that the Act's changes to subsection (a) stay. The 10-calendar-day notice and the posting and mailing receipt rules continue, but the required notice contents, the copy to a mediation center and the 20-day filing wait end. Effective (Act 278, SLH 2025 (S.B. 825), § 7(2)).
| Notice for unpaid rent | 10 days (10-calendar-day notice to pay rent (with prelitigation mediation notice))Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68(a)-(d), (i) (version effective Feb. 5, 2026), Act 278, SLH 2025 (S.B. 825), §§ 2, 7 |
|---|---|
| Notice for a lease violation | 10 days (chance to cure)Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-69(a), Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-72 |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no-fault) | Landlord 45 days · tenant 28 daysHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71 |
Notice for unpaid rent
- In effect since .
- Before : Notice had to give at least five business days after receipt to pay (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68(a), version effective until Feb. 4, 2026).
What Hawaii law says
What notice must a Hawaii landlord give before filing an eviction for unpaid rent?
Serve a written 10-calendar-day notice to pay rent that includes the statutory contents and send a copy to a state-funded mediation center; if the tenant schedules mediation within the 10 days, the landlord may not file until 20 days after the tenant received the notice (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68, effective Feb. 5, 2026) (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68(a)-(d), (i) (version effective Feb. 5, 2026)).
How much notice is required for a lease violation in Hawaii?
For a tenant's material failure to maintain the unit or a breach of house rules, give written notice allowing at least 10 days to fix it before terminating, with no cure period when the breach causes or threatens irremediable harm to people or property (Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 521-69(a), 521-72(a)) (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-69(a)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Hawaii?
A landlord ending a month-to-month tenancy must give at least 45 days' written notice, while the tenant needs to give only 28 days' written notice (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71(a)–(b)).
How Hawaii compares
30 of 49 verified jurisdictions use a shorter unpaid-rent notice.
Other Hawaii rules
| Security deposit limit | 1 month's rent (with exceptions)Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(b) |
|---|---|
| Deposit return deadline | 14 days after the lease endsHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44(c) |
| Late-fee cap | No more than 8% of the rent dueHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-21(f) |
| Entry notice | 48 hours' noticeHaw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53 |
| Rent-increase notice | 45 days (15 days' written notice for tenancies shorter than month-to-month; fixed-term rent is set by the agreement)Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-21(d)–(e) |