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Rent Regulations

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-39

Medical cannabis; tenant use; eviction.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 10/30/2026
effective 10/23/2026HawaiiCannabis in Housing

Operative Text

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521 § 521-39
A provision in a rental agreement allowing for eviction of a tenant who has a valid certificate for the medical use of cannabis as provided in section 329-123 in any form is void, unless the rental agreement allows for eviction for smoking tobacco and the medical cannabis is used by means of smoking; provided that this section shall not apply where the articles of incorporation, declaration, bylaws, administrative rules, house rules, association documents, or a similar document of a condominium property regime or planned community association prohibits the medical use of cannabis. [L 2014, c 60, §1; am L 2017, c 170, §2]
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-39 addresses the intersection of medical cannabis use and residential tenancy. Under this provision, a rental agreement clause that would allow a landlord to evict a tenant solely because that tenant holds a valid medical cannabis certificate is generally unenforceable and void. Two key exceptions exist: if the rental agreement already permits eviction for smoking tobacco and the tenant uses medical cannabis by smoking, or if the property is governed by a condominium or planned community association whose governing documents prohibit medical cannabis use, the eviction-related clause may stand.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Operators of standard residential rental properties in Hawaii should be aware that § 521-39 limits the enforceability of lease clauses targeting medically certified cannabis users. A compliant landlord generally reviews lease provisions to ensure that any smoking-related restrictions are applied consistently—for example, a no-smoking policy covering tobacco would be the basis on which smoked medical cannabis could also be addressed. Landlords managing condominium or planned community properties should verify whether their association's governing documents contain an explicit prohibition on medical cannabis, as that carve-out under § 521-39 is the primary avenue through which association-governed properties may retain broader restrictions.

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

For Tenants

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 521-39 provides that tenants who hold a valid medical cannabis certificate generally cannot be evicted under a lease clause targeting that status alone. If a landlord attempts to enforce such a clause, a tenant may be able to raise the provision's void-clause protection as a defense in eviction proceedings. Tenants facing this situation may benefit from reviewing their lease for any smoking-related provisions, consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Hawaii law, or contacting a legal aid service to understand how § 521-39 applies to their particular lease and property type.

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

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 329-123
Not yet ingested

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

§ 47a-9a
Prohibitions re discrimination against prospective or existing tenant for conviction related to cannabis possession; possession or consumption of cannabis; drug tests. Exceptions.
§ 504B.1715
COVENANTS; SOBER HOMES.
§ 4468b
Rental agreements; cannabis restrictions prohibited

Source Information

Source:https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol12_Ch0501-0588/HRS0521/HRS_0521-0039.htm
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