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Legal Information: Hawai‘i

Housing Laws

Laws current as of November 15, 2024

Can I ask my landlord to change my locks?

If you or one of your immediate family members has been a victim of domestic violence and you don’t want to break your rental agreement, you can ask your landlord to change your locks.  However, if the abuser is listed on the rental agreement, the locks cannot be changed unless there is a court order telling him/her to move out. In this situation, you must give the landlord a copy of the court order before the locks can be changed.

If you are the only one on the rental agreement and you ask the landlord to change the locks, they have three days to do so. However, your landlord does not have to pay for the new locks – that would be your responsibility.

If the locks aren’t changed within the three-day period, you can change the locks yourself. Then, you have to give the landlord a key. 1

1 Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-81(a), (b), (c)

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