Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Hawaii?

In Hawaii, a tenant on a rental agreement of one year or less may end it without early-termination penalties or fees or liability for future rent if the tenant or an immediate family member living in the unit was a victim of domestic violence in the ninety days before the notice, by giving the landlord at least fourteen days’ notice with a restraining order, injunction or criminal case documents, or documentation from a victim services organization or a professional the victim sought help from. The early termination date may be no more than one hundred four days from the most recent act of domestic violence, and the tenant must also give a written statement that the tenant reasonably believes the abuser knows where the tenant or family member lives, unless the abuser lives in the same unit. A tenant solely liable on the agreement owes rent through the early termination date plus any earlier obligations, paid on or before that date, and stays liable for delinquent rent owed before termination. The landlord may not charge a fee or penalty for using the right and may not disclose the information reported unless the tenant consents in a signed statement, it is required or relevant in a judicial action, or other law requires it. The landlord may recover actual damages from the person who committed the domestic violence and, if that person is a party to the rental agreement, may hold that person liable for future rent or end that person’s interest on five days’ written notice. A tenant who knowingly submits a false notice or documentation is liable for three months’ rent or three times actual damages, whichever is greater, plus costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. This is Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-80.

WhatHawaii
Ending the lease early14 days’ notice with an order or advocate’s statement

What the statute says

“… without penalty or fees for early termination or liability for future rent if the tenant or an immediate family member of the tenant residing at the dwelling unit has been the victim of domestic violence …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-80

Read the statute in the Hawaii Revised Statutes (Hawaii State Legislature): capitol.hawaii.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.

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