Landlord Retaliation Laws in Hawaii

Hawaii law bars eviction, rent increases and service cuts after a tenant makes a good-faith complaint or repair request, as long as the tenant keeps paying rent; there is no presumption period.

Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Retaliation banned by statute: Yes
Presumption period: No presumption period; The statute has no time window that presumes retaliation. It lists situations where the landlord may still recover possession or raise rent.
Protected tenant actions: Good-faith complaints, agency violation notices, repair requests; Covers good-faith complaints to the landlord or agencies such as the health department about health law or landlord tenant code violations, agency violation notices, and good-faith repair requests.

Sources

Haw. Rev. Stat. 521-74 (Hawaii Legislature)

Last checked October 2026

The rules in Hawaii

Does Hawaii law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Hawaii: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Hawaii?

Presumption period in Hawaii: No presumption period. The statute has no time window that presumes retaliation. It lists situations where the landlord may still recover possession or raise rent.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Hawaii?

Protected tenant actions in Hawaii: Good-faith complaints, agency violation notices, repair requests. Covers good-faith complaints to the landlord or agencies such as the health department about health law or landlord tenant code violations, agency violation notices, and good-faith repair requests.

Where do the Hawaii landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Haw. Rev. Stat. 521-74. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A dispossessed tenant may recover damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.