Landlord Entry Notice Requirements in Hawaii
At a glance
| Governing law | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53 ('Access'), part of Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code (HRS ch. 521). It is a closed scheme: § 521-53(c) gives the landlord 'no other right of entry, except by court order, unless the tenant appears to have abandoned the premises, or as permitted by section 521-70(b)' (entry connected with a tenant's extended absence). Enacted 1972 (L 1972, c 132); unchanged in substance since |
|---|---|
| Advance notice required | At least two days' notice. 'Except in case of emergency or where impracticable to do so, the landlord shall give the tenant at least two days notice of the landlord's intent to enter and shall enter only during reasonable hours' (§ 521-53(b)). The same rule applies to showings |
| Reasons a landlord may enter | To 'inspect the premises; make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements; supply services as agreed; or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective purchasers, mortgagees, or tenants' (§ 521-53(a)). Hawaii's exhibit clause is narrower than many states' — it names purchasers, mortgagees, or tenants, not 'workers or contractors.' The list is effectively exclusive: § 521-53(c) allows 'no other right of entry' except a court order, apparent abandonment, or the § 521-70(b) extended-absence entry |
| Permitted hours | Reasonable hours only. The landlord 'shall enter only during reasonable hours' (§ 521-53(b)). Hawaii uses a reasonableness standard rather than a fixed clock or a 'business hours' cap |
| When no notice is needed | Two things lift the two-day-notice duty: entry 'in case of emergency or where impracticable to do so' (§ 521-53(b)). Beyond those, § 521-53(c) allows entry only by court order, when 'the tenant appears to have abandoned the premises,' or as permitted by § 521-70(b), which concerns the landlord's access during a tenant's extended absence |
| Form and delivery of the notice | Section 521-53(b) requires 'at least two days notice of the landlord's intent to enter' but does not say the notice must be written, list required contents, or fix a delivery method. A dated written notice stating the time and purpose is the safe practice; the statute leaves the form open |
| Special rules for showings | No separate showing rule. Exhibiting the unit to 'prospective purchasers, mortgagees, or tenants' is one of the ordinary purposes in § 521-53(a) and runs on the same two-day-notice, reasonable-hours standard. See the advance-notice row |
| Tenant's remedies for unlawful entry | Section 521-53(b) bars abuse and harassment but states no entry-specific damages amount. Section 521-63(c) separately gives possession-or-termination, two months' rent or free occupancy, costs, attorney's fees, and possible equitable relief for an unlawful overnight removal or exclusion; the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to lawful entry (§ 521-53(a)) |
Requirements one by one
Advance notice required
HRS § 521-53(b) says, "Except in case of emergency or where impracticable to do so, the landlord shall give the tenant at least two days notice of the landlord's intent to enter and shall enter only during reasonable hours." The statute does not state a separate shorter period for showings.
Reasons a landlord may enter
Section 521-53(a) permits entry to inspect; make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements; supply agreed services; or exhibit the unit to prospective purchasers, mortgagees, or tenants. Subsection (c) says the landlord has "no other right of entry" except by court order, apparent abandonment, or the separate extended-absence route in § 521-70(b).
When no notice is needed
The notice-and-hours clause itself yields "in case of emergency or where impracticable to do so." Court-ordered entry, apparent abandonment, and § 521-70(b) are the other routes named in subsection (c).
Tenant's remedies for unlawful entry
Section 521-53(b) says the landlord may not abuse access or use it to harass the tenant, but it states no entry-specific damages figure. The separate overnight-exclusion rule in § 521-63(c) allows possession or termination, two months' rent or free occupancy, suit costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and possible equitable relief. That remedy requires an overnight removal or exclusion, not merely a defective entry notice.
What trips people up
"Impracticable" appears alongside emergency as an exception to the notice-and-hours clause. It does not create a general additional purpose for entry: subsection (c) still limits other entry routes to a court order, apparent abandonment, or § 521-70(b).
Common questions
Must the notice be written? Section 521-53 requires notice of the intent to enter but does not specify writing, required contents, or a delivery method.
May a tenant simply refuse every lawful entry request? No. Section 521-53(a) says the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to entry for the listed purposes.
Does the overnight-exclusion remedy apply to every notice violation? No. Section 521-63(c) applies when the landlord removes or excludes the tenant overnight without cause or court authority.
Statutes and sources
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53 — "Except in case of emergency or where impracticable to do so, the landlord shall give the tenant at least two days notice of the landlord's intent to enter and shall enter only during reasonable hours." The same section lists the purposes, bars abuse and harassment, and limits other entry routes. https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0053.htm (accessed 2026-08-17)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-63 — "If the landlord removes or excludes the tenant from the premises overnight without cause or without court order so authorizing," the tenant may recover possession or terminate and receive the remedies stated in subsection (c). https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0063.htm (accessed 2026-08-17)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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