Landlord & Housing · free generator
Hawaii Security Deposit Demand Letter
You moved out, you left the place in decent shape, and your deposit still has not come back. In Hawaii, that is not a judgment call: under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 521-44, your former landlord generally has 14 days to return your deposit or send an itemized statement of deductions. This generator produces a demand letter that cites Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44 by name, states the legal deadline, and puts your landlord on notice that small claims court — where Hawaii hears claims up to $5,000 — is the next stop. You do not need perfect English or a lawyer for this; the statute does the arguing. Fill in the blanks below, send it by certified mail, and keep a copy — the letter that cites the actual law is the one that gets answered.
[Date]
[Your former landlord's name]
Re: Demand for return of security deposit — [Rental property address]
Dear [Your former landlord's name],
I am writing to formally demand the return of my security deposit of [Deposit amount] for the property at [Rental property address], which I have vacated and returned to your possession.
Under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 521-44 (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44), you were required to return my security deposit, or provide a written itemized statement of any lawful deductions, within 14 days. Yes — written notice of the grounds for retention with written evidence of costs (estimates, invoices, or receipts) must reach the tenant within 14 days, or the landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit. Deductions for normal wear and tear are not permitted.
As of the date of this letter, I have received neither my deposit nor a lawful accounting for it. Please send the full amount of [Deposit amount] to my forwarding address: [Forwarding address for payment].
If I do not receive payment or a lawful written response within 10 days, I will file a claim in small claims court, where Hawaii law allows claims up to $5,000, and I will pursue every remedy available under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44, including any statutory damages for wrongful retention.
I would prefer to resolve this without litigation. Prompt payment will close the matter.
Sincerely,
[Your full name]
Know your rights
Security deposit law in Hawaii
- Return deadline
- 14 days
- Governing statute
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
- When the clock starts
- Both the refund and the itemized written notice are due not later than 14 days after termination of the rental agreement; a mailing to the address the tenant supplied, with acceptable proof of mailing and postmarked before midnight of the fourteenth day, counts as timely.
- Itemized deductions
- Yes — written notice of the grounds for retention with written evidence of costs (estimates, invoices, or receipts) must reach the tenant within 14 days, or the landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
- If it's wrongfully kept
- If retention was wrongful, the court awards the tenant the amount wrongfully retained plus the cost of suit; if the landlord wrongfully and wilfully retained the deposit, the court may award three times the amount wrongfully retained plus the cost of suit (HRS § 521-44(h)).
- Small claims limit
- No dollar cap for deposit disputes in small claims division ($5,000 otherwise)
Worth knowing: Hawaii caps the deposit at one month's rent, plus a pet deposit of up to one additional month (never chargeable for assistance animals), and the landlord may collect nothing beyond first month's rent and deposit at the start of tenancy. Deposit disputes belong in the district court's small claims division, where HRS § 633-27 lifts the usual $5,000 ceiling for security-deposit cases and neither side may be represented by an attorney. You must sue within one year of termination of the rental agreement — the statute cuts off later claims. Being absent 20 or more days without written notice counts as wrongfully quitting and lets the landlord keep the entire deposit.
Last reviewed August 2026 · General information, not legal advice · Read the statute
Field notes
Three tips before you send
- Send it by certified mail with a return receipt — that dated record is the first exhibit a Hawaii small claims judge will ask about. Keep a copy with your move-out photos and lease.
- Both the refund and the itemized written notice are due not later than 14 days after termination of the rental agreement; a mailing to the address the tenant supplied, with acceptable proof of mailing and postmarked before midnight of the fourteenth day, counts as timely.
- If the deadline has already passed, skip the text-message negotiation. Filing in small claims (No dollar cap for deposit disputes in small claims division ($5,000 otherwise)) usually costs under $75, and most landlords pay between the summons and the hearing.
Other states
Deposit letters for every state
Straight answers
Questions people ask
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Hawaii?
Both the refund and the itemized written notice are due not later than 14 days after termination of the rental agreement; a mailing to the address the tenant supplied, with acceptable proof of mailing and postmarked before midnight of the fourteenth day, counts as timely. The governing statute is Hawaii Revised Statutes section 521-44. Yes — written notice of the grounds for retention with written evidence of costs (estimates, invoices, or receipts) must reach the tenant within 14 days, or the landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
What can I recover if my landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit in Hawaii?
If retention was wrongful, the court awards the tenant the amount wrongfully retained plus the cost of suit; if the landlord wrongfully and wilfully retained the deposit, the court may award three times the amount wrongfully retained plus the cost of suit (HRS § 521-44(h)). These cases are built for small claims court — the Hawaii limit is No dollar cap for deposit disputes in small claims division ($5,000 otherwise), filing fees are modest, and no lawyer is needed.
Anything else Hawaii renters should know about deposits?
Hawaii caps the deposit at one month's rent, plus a pet deposit of up to one additional month (never chargeable for assistance animals), and the landlord may collect nothing beyond first month's rent and deposit at the start of tenancy. Deposit disputes belong in the district court's small claims division, where HRS § 633-27 lifts the usual $5,000 ceiling for security-deposit cases and neither side may be represented by an attorney. You must sue within one year of termination of the rental agreement — the statute cuts off later claims. Being absent 20 or more days without written notice counts as wrongfully quitting and lets the landlord keep the entire deposit.
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