Hawaii Eviction Process: Notice Periods, Timeline & Tenant Defenses (2026)

How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage

At a glance

• Notice required before filing: 5 or 10 or 45 days, depending on the grounds
• Court required: Yes — possession is recovered through court, not by self-help
• Governing statute: HRS § 521-68

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the eviction process in Hawaii for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.

It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

HRS § 521-68 — 欠租 5 个营业日 pay-or-quit；违约 10 天 cure（521-72）。全州适用。

夏威夷驱逐走 summary possession（District Court，仅法院判决由 sheriff 执行）。欠租 5 营业日（521-68）；违约 10 天 cure（521-72）；月租终止 45 天（房东，521-71）。

HRS § 521-68 ↗

Notice periods by grounds

How the process runs, step by step

1. 房东送达通知（欠租 5 营业日 / 违约 10 天 / 月租 45 天） (from 欠租/违约). 欠租 5 营业日；违约 10 天 cure；月租 45 天。
2. 房东提起 summary possession 诉讼 (from 通知期届满). 通知期届满未搬，房东在 District Court 起诉。
3. 判决 + sheriff 执行 writ of possession (from 判决). 仅法院判决由 sheriff 执行；房东不得自行换锁/断水电（521-63 禁止）。

Can the landlord use self-help?

夏威夷禁止自力救济：房东不得换锁、断水电或搬物（521-63）；非法驱逐租客可追偿 2 月租金 + 律师费。

HRS § 521-63 ↗

Common landlord claims and how to answer them

Remedies for an illegal eviction

非法驱逐/排除的租客可依 521-63 追偿 2 月租金（或 2 月免费占用）+ 律师费 + 恢复占有。

HRS § 521-63 ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
HRS § 521-68	2026-10-16	official text ↗
HRS § 521-72	2026-10-16	official text ↗
HRS § 521-71	2026-10-16	official text ↗
HRS § 521-68, 521-72	2026-10-16	official text ↗
HRS § 666-6	2026-10-16	official text ↗
HRS § 521-63	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Hawaii guides

Hawaii Security Deposit Return · Hawaii Security Deposit Rules · Hawaii Rent Increase Rules · Hawaii Repairs & Habitability · Hawaii Landlord Retaliation

→ All Hawaii tenant rights topics

Common questions