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Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-11

Time; reasonable time.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 10/30/2026
effective 10/23/2026HawaiiLease Requirements

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-11
(a) Whenever this chapter requires any action to be taken within a reasonable time, any time which is not manifestly unreasonable may be fixed by agreement.
(b) What is a reasonable time for taking any action depends on the nature, purpose, and circumstances of the action. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-11 addresses how "reasonable time" is interpreted under the state's residential landlord-tenant law. When the law calls for something to be done within a reasonable time, parties may agree in advance on a specific timeframe, as long as that timeframe is not obviously unreasonable. If no agreement exists, what counts as reasonable depends on the particular nature, purpose, and circumstances surrounding the action in question.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 23, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 521-11, landlords operating under Hawaii's residential landlord-tenant law can work with tenants to establish specific timeframes in lease agreements for actions the law leaves to "reasonable time." A compliant operator generally ensures that any agreed-upon deadlines are realistic and not so short as to be manifestly unreasonable. When no timeframe is set by agreement, operators typically consider the context and purpose of the required action when determining how quickly to act.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section § 521-11 of Hawaii's landlord-tenant statute gives tenants a basis to evaluate whether a landlord's timeline for taking required action is truly reasonable given the circumstances. If a lease sets a specific timeframe, tenants can assess whether that period is so short as to be manifestly unreasonable under the law. Tenants who believe a landlord has failed to act within a reasonable time may consider raising that issue as a defense in a dispute, consulting a tenant-rights organization, or contacting a local housing authority for guidance.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 23, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 23, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-70
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-70
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-62
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-43
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-72
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-52
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-63
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-42
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-80
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-80
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-51
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-68
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44

Related Rules

§ 244.280
Tenant to be given copy of lease
§ 151.35
SEVERABILITY
§ 165.12
SEVERABILITY

Source Information

Source:https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0011.htm
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Fetched:Oct 23, 2026, 07:04 AM UTC
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