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Free Hawaii Background &
Credit Check Authorization Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Hawaii Background & Credit Check Authorization

This Background & Credit Check Authorization is built with Hawaii as the governing state. These are the Hawaii landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

Hawaii rules at a glance

Hawaii rules for a Background & Credit Check Authorization
Security deposit limit1 month’s rent, plus up to 1 more month as a pet depositHRS §521-44(b)
Deposit return14 days, with written evidence of costs — or the landlord forfeits the right to keep any of itHRS §521-44(c)
Deposit rulesThe one-month cap, the 14-day deadline and the forfeiture rule apply no matter what the lease says (§521-44).

Security deposits in Hawaii

Hawaii limits the security deposit to one month’s rent. Where the tenant keeps a pet, the landlord may collect an additional pet deposit of up to one more month’s rent — but never for an assistance animal kept by a tenant with a disability (§521-44(b)).

  • Permitted uses — Unpaid rent and other tenant defaults, damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning to move-in condition, pet damage, and unpaid utility charges (§521-44(a)).
  • Not last month’s rent — No part of the deposit can be treated as the last month’s rent unless both sides agree in writing (§521-44(b)).
  • 14-day deadline — Within 14 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit or give written notice of the reasons for keeping any part of it, with written evidence of the costs such as estimates or invoices (§521-44(c)).
  • Forfeiture — A landlord who doesn’t meet the 14-day notice requirement isn’t entitled to retain any part of the deposit — even for real damage (§521-44(c)).
  • Bad-faith penalty — If the landlord wrongfully and willfully kept deposit money, the small claims court may award three times the amount withheld, plus costs (§521-44(h)).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

  • No liability waivers — A lease clause exempting the landlord from liability for its own or its agents’ acts, or making the tenant indemnify the landlord for them, is void (§521-33).
  • No lockouts — If a landlord removes or excludes a tenant overnight without cause or a court order, the tenant can recover possession or end the lease and collect two months’ rent (or two months of free occupancy) plus attorney’s fees (§521-63(c)).
  • No retaliation — A landlord can’t raise rent, cut services or evict because the tenant complained to a government agency or requested repairs in good faith (§521-74).
  • Deposit rules — The one-month cap, the 14-day deadline and the forfeiture rule apply no matter what the lease says (§521-44).

Hawaii Background & Credit Check Authorization FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Hawaii?

No more than one month’s rent. A landlord may also collect a separate pet deposit of up to one additional month’s rent, but not for an assistance animal (HRS §521-44(b)).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Hawaii?

14 days after the tenancy ends. Within that window the landlord must return the deposit or explain in writing why any part is being kept, with evidence of the costs. Miss it and the landlord can’t keep any of the deposit (§521-44(c)).

More Hawaii landlord documents

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