Hawaii Rental Fee Rules
Hawaii rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Allowed only to cover the actual costs of screening (reference checks, tenant reports, criminal background checks, credit reports), and only for applicants 18 or older or emancipated minors. HRS § 521-46 (Act 200, SLH 2023)
The rules in Hawaii
| Application / screening fees | Allowed only to cover the actual costs of screening (reference checks, tenant reports, criminal background checks, credit reports), and only for applicants 18 or older or emancipated minors. On request, the landlord must give a receipt and a breakdown of costs covered. Any unused portion must be returned within 30 days after the landlord submits the screening requests. No dollar cap. No portable-screening-report provision found. Source: HRS § 521-46 (Act 200, SLH 2023) |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | At the start of a tenancy the landlord may collect only the first month's rent and the security deposit (plus a pet deposit where allowed); no other move-in money. Late charges may not exceed 8% of the rent due. § 521-21: https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0021.htm. No online-payment-fee or total-cost-of-rent rule found in ch. 521. Source: HRS §§ 521-44(b), 521-21(f) |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Hawaii vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Allowed only to cover the actual costs of screening (reference checks, tenant reports, criminal background checks, credit reports), and only for applicants 18 or older or emancipated minors. On request, the landlord must give a receipt and a breakdown of costs covered. Any unused portion must be returned within 30 days after the landlord submits the screening requests. No dollar cap. HRS § 521-46 (Act 200, SLH 2023) | At the start of a tenancy the landlord may collect only the first month's rent and the security deposit (plus a pet deposit where allowed); no other move-in money. Late charges may not exceed 8% of the rent due. HRS §§ 521-44(b), 521-21(f) |
| California | An application screening fee is capped at the landlord's actual out-of-pocket costs and the value of time spent, and may not exceed $30 per applicant, adjusted annually by CPI since 1998. Guarantors and cosigners count as applicants. A landlord may not charge a fee when it knows or should know that no unit is or will soon be available. Since January 1, 2025 (AB 2493), a fee is allowed only if the landlord either (A) considers completed applications in the order received under written screening criteria given with the application, approves the first qualified applicant, and charges no fee until an application is actually considered (fees collected by mistake must be refunded within 7 days), or (B) refunds the full fee to every applicant who is not selected, within 7 days of selecting a tenant or 30 days after the application, whichever comes first. The landlord must give an itemized receipt and, if a fee was paid, a copy of the credit report within 7 days of receiving it. Any part of the fee not spent on screening must be refunded. If a landlord chooses to accept a reusable tenant screening report (prepared within the last 30 days at the applicant's expense), it may not charge an application fee or a fee to access that report. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1950.6, 1950.1 | Any fee charged at the start of a tenancy to cover the cost of processing a new tenant counts as 'security'. It therefore falls under the deposit cap and refund rules, and no part of it may be labeled nonrefundable. Application screening fees are regulated separately. A landlord must accept at least one form of rent payment that is neither cash nor electronic funds transfer, and may not charge a fee for paying rent or deposit by check. Since January 1, 2025 (SB 611), a landlord may not charge a fee for serving, posting, or delivering a termination notice. If a tenant opts into positive rent reporting to credit bureaus, the landlord may charge no more than the lesser of its actual cost or $10 per month, and nothing if it has no cost. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1950.5(b), (n); 1947.3(a)-(b); 1946(b); 1946.1(i); 1954.07(g) |
City rules that may add to state law
More Hawaii rental law
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- Hawaii Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
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- Hawaii Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Hawaii landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Hawaii
Compare rental fees in all 50 states and DC →
Hawaii Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Hawaii?
Allowed only to cover the actual costs of screening (reference checks, tenant reports, criminal background checks, credit reports), and only for applicants 18 or older or emancipated minors. On request, the landlord must give a receipt and a breakdown of costs covered. Any unused portion must be returned within 30 days after the landlord submits the screening requests. No dollar cap. (HRS § 521-46 (Act 200, SLH 2023))
What rental fees are banned or limited in Hawaii?
At the start of a tenancy the landlord may collect only the first month's rent and the security deposit (plus a pet deposit where allowed); no other move-in money. Late charges may not exceed 8% of the rent due. (HRS §§ 521-44(b), 521-21(f))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.