Rental Application Fee Laws in Hawaii

In Hawaii, an application screening fee may only cover the cost of obtaining information about the applicant, and any unused amount must be returned within 30 days after screening requests are submitted.

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

Fee limit: Actual cost of obtaining applicant information; Only applicants 18 or older or emancipated minors may be charged, and a receipt with a cost breakdown is due on request.
Refund required: Yes, unused amount within 30 days

Sources

Last checked October 2026

The rules in Hawaii

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Hawaii?

Fee limit in Hawaii: Actual cost of obtaining applicant information. Only applicants 18 or older or emancipated minors may be charged, and a receipt with a cost breakdown is due on request.

Does a landlord in Hawaii have to refund an unused application fee?

Yes, unused amount within 30 days. Refund required in Hawaii: yes, unused amount within 30 days.

Where do the Hawaii rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from Haw. Rev. Stat. 521-46. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

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