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Hawaii Rent Increase Notice

In Hawaii a landlord must give at least 45 consecutive days written notice to raise the rent on a month-to-month tenancy, and 15 consecutive days for a tenancy shorter than month to month (HRS 521-21). Hawaii has no statewide rent cap. Attorney review available.

Introduction

Hawaii counts its rent-increase notice in consecutive days, weekends included, and sets the count by how the tenancy runs. On a month-to-month tenancy a landlord must give written notice at least 45 consecutive days before the increase takes effect; on a tenancy shorter than month to month, such as week to week, the figure drops to 15 consecutive days (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e)). A rent increase notice is that written notice raising the rent, naming the new monthly amount and its effective date. Hawaii puts no ceiling on the increase itself: the statute fixes the notice period but no maximum percentage or amount, so a landlord may set the new figure, subject to any ordinance in the county where the unit sits. Rent locked in by a fixed-term rental agreement cannot move mid-term unless the agreement allows it, because the statute prescribes notice only for month-to-month and shorter tenancies. The notice must be in writing and given the full run of consecutive days before the effective date, and a landlord should keep proof of how and when it was delivered. DocDraft builds your Hawaii rent increase notice from your facts, with attorney review available before you serve it.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A Hawaii rent increase notice is a written notice from landlord to tenant raising the rent on a residential tenancy, naming the new monthly rent and the date the increase takes effect.

  2. 2

    On a month-to-month tenancy the landlord must give written notice at least 45 consecutive days before the effective date of the increase (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)).

  3. 3

    When the tenancy is less than month to month, such as week to week, the figure is 15 consecutive days before the effective date (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(e)).

  4. 4

    Hawaii has no statewide rent cap; Section 521-21 fixes the notice period but no maximum percentage or amount, so the landlord may set the new figure subject to any local ordinance.

  5. 5

    Rent fixed by a fixed-term rental agreement cannot move mid-term unless the agreement allows it; the notice applies to a month-to-month or shorter tenancy or at renewal.

  6. 6

    The notice must be in writing and given the full run of consecutive days before the effective date, and the landlord should keep proof of how and when it was delivered (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)).

  7. 7

    A local ordinance in the county where the unit sits may add its own rules, and a notice short of the 45 or 15 consecutive days does not take effect until a proper period runs.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Rent Increase Notice in Hawaii, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Rent Increase Notice guide walks through them.

Open the Rent Increase Notice guide

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[LANDLORD / PROPERTY OWNER NAME] [LANDLORD ADDRESS] [CITY, HAWAII ZIP] [EMAIL] [PHONE]

[DATE]

[TENANT NAME] [RENTAL ADDRESS, UNIT #] [CITY, HAWAII ZIP]

Re: Notice of rent increase for [RENTAL ADDRESS, UNIT #], Hawaii

Dear [TENANT NAME]:

This letter is your formal written notice that the monthly rent for the residence you occupy at [RENTAL ADDRESS] in Hawaii is being raised. You now hold this property on a month-to-month tenancy at $[CURRENT MONTHLY RENT] per month.

Starting [EFFECTIVE DATE], the monthly rent becomes $[NEW MONTHLY RENT], due on the same day each month and paid the same way as now. That is a change of $[INCREASE AMOUNT], or [PERCENT] percent of your current rent.

This notice is issued under Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 521-21(d). Because your tenancy runs from month to month, Hawaii requires written notice of a rent increase at least 45 consecutive days before the effective date, and the date above leaves you at least that run of days, counted straight through including weekends. Were your tenancy shorter than month to month, Hawaii would require at least 15 consecutive days written notice under Section 521-21(e).

Hawaii sets no statewide cap on how much the rent may rise. Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 521-21 fixes only the length of the notice, not any maximum percentage or amount, so the figure above reflects the rent for this property going forward rather than any statutory ceiling. If a local ordinance in the county where this property sits applies to your tenancy, the amount and timing of this increase also meet that ordinance.

Every other term of your tenancy stays the same. This notice adjusts only the rent going forward; it leaves your security deposit and all other terms of the rental agreement unchanged, and it does not end your tenancy. You may accept the new rent and stay, talk the amount over with me, or give proper written notice and move before it takes effect, in which case your current rent continues until that date. If you think this notice falls short of the 45 consecutive days Hawaii law requires, write to me so we can go over the dates. For any question about the new amount or the effective date, reach me at the phone number or email above.

Please update your records so the payment due on or after [EFFECTIVE DATE] reflects the new monthly rent of $[NEW MONTHLY RENT]. If you remain in the property on or after that date, the new rent applies.

Sincerely,

[LANDLORD / PROPERTY OWNER NAME]

Delivery record: This notice was served on [DATE] by [personal delivery / mail to the address above]. Keep a copy for your records.

Note: This Hawaii rent increase notice draws on Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d). Hawaii sets a 45-day notice period for month-to-month tenancies and a 15-day period for shorter tenancies, and has no statewide rent cap. For the generic template and other states, see the Rent Increase Notice hub.

Hawaii Requirements for Rent Increase Notice

45-Day Month-to-Month Notice

On a month-to-month tenancy a Hawaii landlord must give written notice at least 45 consecutive days before the effective date of the rent increase (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)). When the tenancy is less than month to month, the landlord must give at least 15 consecutive days written notice (Section 521-21(e)). The effective date must give the tenant at least that many days.

No Statewide Rent Cap

Hawaii has no statewide rent cap. Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21 sets the notice period for a rent increase but no maximum percentage or amount, so a landlord may set the new amount, subject to any local ordinance in the county where the property is located. Never assume a fixed cap percentage applies statewide.

No Mid-Lease Increase on a Fixed Term

Rent fixed by a fixed-term rental agreement cannot be raised during the term unless the agreement specifically allows it, because the rent is a fixed term of the contract. Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e) prescribes notice for increases on month-to-month and shorter tenancies or at renewal.

Written Notice Required

The rent increase notice must be in writing and given the required number of consecutive days before the effective date (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e)). The statute does not prescribe a single delivery method for a rent increase notice, so the landlord should deliver it in a reliable way and keep proof of how and when it was delivered.

Counting the Effective Date

Count the required 45 consecutive days for a month-to-month tenancy, or 15 consecutive days for a shorter tenancy, forward from the day the written notice is given (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e)). The days are counted consecutively, including weekends and holidays, and the increase takes effect only on or after the first day past that period stated in the notice.

What the Notice Must State

The notice should identify the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, state the current monthly rent and the new monthly rent, and state the effective date, confirming it gives at least the 45 consecutive days Section 521-21(d) requires for a month-to-month tenancy, or the 15 consecutive days for a shorter tenancy (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(e)).

Local Ordinances May Add Rules

Because Hawaii has no statewide rent cap, a local ordinance in the county where the property is located may add its own rules on the amount or timing of an increase. Check the ordinance for the county where the unit is located before setting a new rent; the statewide notice periods under Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21 still apply.

A Short Notice Is Not Yet Effective

A rent increase served with less time than the law requires does not take effect on the stated date. Under Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e), the increase is effective only after the required 45 consecutive days for a month-to-month tenancy, or 15 consecutive days for a shorter tenancy, have run. A tenant may treat a short or improper notice as not yet effective and continue paying the prior rent until a proper notice period passes.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Hawaii it is a written notice from a landlord raising the rent on a residential tenancy, naming the new monthly rent and the date it takes effect. On a month-to-month tenancy the increase is effective only after the period Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d) requires runs. It does not end the tenancy; it changes one term, the rent, going forward. Rent fixed by a fixed-term rental agreement cannot move mid-term unless the agreement allows it.

On a Hawaii month-to-month tenancy, at least 45 consecutive days of written notice before the effective date (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)). For a tenancy shorter than month to month, such as week to week, the figure is 15 consecutive days (Section 521-21(e)). The increase takes effect only after that run of days passes, counted consecutively including weekends.

Hawaii has no statewide rent cap. Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21 fixes the notice period for an increase but sets no maximum percentage or amount, so a Hawaii landlord may set the new figure. A local ordinance in the county where the unit sits may add its own rules, so check the county rules before landing on a new rent.

Generally no. In Hawaii, rent fixed by a fixed-term rental agreement is a set term of the contract, so it cannot move mid-term unless the agreement allows it. Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e) prescribes notice for increases on month-to-month and shorter tenancies. On a month-to-month tenancy the landlord may raise the rent with at least 45 consecutive days written notice.

Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e) requires the notice to be in writing and given the required run of consecutive days before the effective date. The statute does not itself pin down a single delivery method for a rent increase, so a Hawaii landlord should serve the written notice reliably and keep proof of how and when it went out in case the increase is later disputed.

A Hawaii rent increase notice should name the landlord and tenant, the rental address, the current and new monthly rent, and the effective date. It should confirm the notice gives at least the 45 consecutive days Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d) requires for a month-to-month tenancy, or the 15 consecutive days for a shorter tenancy, and state how rent is to be paid.

They can. Hawaii sets no statewide rent cap, but a local ordinance in the county where the unit sits may add its own rules on how much or how soon the rent may rise. The statewide baseline under Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21 is the 45-day month-to-month notice and the 15-day shorter-tenancy notice. Check the ordinance for the county where the unit is located before setting a new rent.

A Hawaii increase served with less time than the law requires does not take effect on the date stated. Under Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 521-21(d)-(e), the increase is effective only after the required 45 consecutive days for a month-to-month tenancy, or 15 consecutive days for a shorter tenancy, have run. A tenant may treat a short or improper notice as not yet effective and keep paying the prior rent until a proper period passes.