RR
Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-32

Separation of rents and obligations to property forbidden.

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

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-32
Any agreement, conveyance, or trust instrument which authorizes a person other than the beneficial owner to act as the landlord of a dwelling unit shall operate, regardless of its terms, to authorize and require such person to use rents to conform with this chapter and any other law, code, ordinance, or regulation concerning the maintenance and operation of the premises. [L 1972, c 132, pt of §1]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-32 addresses situations where a property's beneficial owner has delegated landlord responsibilities to another party through an agreement, conveyance, or trust instrument. Under this provision, that delegated party is automatically authorized and required to use rental income to comply with Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code and any other applicable laws, codes, ordinances, or regulations governing the maintenance and operation of the premises. The rule prevents the separation of rent collection from the legal obligations that come with managing a dwelling unit, regardless of what the underlying agreement says.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property managers, trustees, or other parties who act as landlord under § 521-32 by virtue of an agreement or trust instrument should understand that their authority over rental income comes bundled with the legal duty to apply those funds toward maintaining the premises in compliance with Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code and all applicable local codes and ordinances. Compliant operators generally ensure that management agreements do not attempt to strip away this obligation, and that rental income is actually used to meet maintenance and operational requirements. Beneficial owners who delegate landlord functions should be aware that § 521-32 makes compliance obligations automatic and non-waivable by contract.

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

For Tenants

Under § 521-32, tenants in units managed by a third-party landlord—such as a property manager or trustee—have the assurance that the person collecting rent is legally required to use those funds to maintain the premises in compliance with Hawaii law, regardless of any private arrangement between that manager and the property's beneficial owner. If a tenant believes maintenance or habitability obligations are being neglected, they may consider raising a violation of this chapter as a defense in relevant proceedings or filing a complaint with the appropriate local housing or code enforcement authority. Tenant-rights organizations in Hawaii can help residents understand how § 521-32 interacts with other protections available under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code.

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_0521-0032.htm
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Fetched:Oct 23, 2026, 07:04 AM UTC
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