Hawaii Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Hawaii's security deposit statute (HRS § 521-44), the 14-day return deadline, and the treble-damages penalty for willful withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
14 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
up to 3×
for willful withholding under § 521-44
Statute
§ 521-44
Hawaii Revised Statutes
Under HRS § 521-44, your landlord has 14 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized statement of any deductions.
If the landlord willfully retains your deposit in violation of the statute, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit willfully withheld can support a court judgment of up to $4,500. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Note: Hawaii’s 3× penalty applies specifically to willful retention; merely wrongful withholding is recoverable at single damages plus costs. Attorney fees are not available in these actions. Your letter frames the demand around the facts of your situation.
Good to know: Hawaii caps security deposits at one month’s rent, plus an optional pet deposit of up to one month (no pet deposit may be charged for an assistance animal — a reasonable accommodation under § 515-3).
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Hawaii's deadlines under § 521-44.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 521-44, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Hawaii law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
14 days after you move out.
Wrongful AND willful retention exposes the landlord to up to treble (three times) the amount wrongfully withheld plus the cost of suit; merely wrongful (not willful) retention is recoverable at single damages plus costs under § 521-44.
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-44. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Hawaii rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Hawaii statutes that apply to your situation.
HRS § 521-44 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Hawaii landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39