Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Hawaii?
No, not in most cases. In Hawaii, a landlord may not refuse to rent to a person, advertise that they will not, or set different conditions, because the person takes part in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program or a permanent supportive housing program, or because of the program’s requirements. The rule does not apply to a landlord who owns four or fewer units in the state, to an owner-occupied two-family building, to renting rooms in the owner’s own home, to an affordable housing project subsidized by public funds or land, to a source of income not approved within 21 days of a request for tenancy approval, or to a commercially reasonable check of income and credit. This is Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 368F-2, 368F-3.
| What | Hawaii |
|---|---|
| Renting to a voucher holder | Protected, except owners of four or fewer units |
| What the state law does | Bars refusing a tenant because of a voucher |
Source
Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 368F-2, 368F-3
Read the statute in the Hawaii Revised Statutes (Hawaii State Legislature): capitol.hawaii.gov.
Checked against the statute on October 23, 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
This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.
Guides on this rule
- Renting to Section 8 Tenants: A Landlord’s Guide to Vouchers — How the Housing Choice Voucher program works for landlords: the HAP contract, inspections and the 2027 NSPIRE change, rent reasonableness, and who pays what.
- Tenant Screening: What Landlords Need to Know — How to screen rental applicants fairly and legally: credit and background checks, consistent criteria, the FCRA’s adverse action notice and fair housing.
- The Fair Housing Act: A Landlord’s Plain-English Guide — The seven protected classes, what the Fair Housing Act prohibits, the small-landlord exemptions, advertising rules, deadlines and penalties, with citations.
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The same question in other states
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