One month's rent. The return rule is 14 days. The controlling text is Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44.
Shared move-in, deduction, and refund workflow: the national state-law hub.
Hawaii's deposit ceiling
One month's rent.
The base cap is one month's rent, with an additional one month allowed where the tenant keeps a pet and the unit is not otherwise pet-restricted.
Hawaii's return deadline
14 days.
You have 14 days after the tenancy ends to return the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. It is one of the shortest clocks in the country, so the inspection has to happen at handover.
The itemized statement rule
An itemized written statement of deductions is required, and failing to furnish it can forfeit your right to withhold. Tie every line to the move-in condition.
Where the deposit must be held
Hawaii sets no separate-account requirement, but the deposit remains the tenant's money in your custody and is best held apart from operating funds.
Exposure for wrongful withholding
Up to 3x wrongfully withheld.
A landlord who wrongfully or in bad faith retains a deposit can be liable for up to three times the amount wrongfully withheld. The 14-day clock is the usual failure point, so the statement goes out the same week the tenant leaves.
Compare Hawaii with neighboring states
- California: one month's rent; return rule: 21 days.
- Nevada: three months' rent; return rule: 30 days.
- Washington: no statutory limit; return rule: 30 days.
Verified against Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 and official state sources in July 2026. Before withholding money, check the current statute text or ask a local landlord-tenant attorney. General information, not legal advice.