(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c), if a tenant of a dwelling unit or an immediate family member of the tenant has been the victim of domestic violence and the tenant does not elect to be released from the rental agreement pursuant to section 521-80, the tenant may require the landlord to change the locks to the dwelling unit by submitting a request to the landlord to do so.
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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 521-81

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Dwelling unit: means a structure, or part of a structure, which is used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one person or by two or more persons maintaining a common household, to the exclusion of all others. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 521-8
  • Landlord: means the owner, lessor, sublessor, assigns or successors in interest of the dwelling unit or the building of which it is a part and in addition means any agent of the landlord. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 521-8
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, government or governmental agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, two or more persons having a joint or common interest, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 521-8
  • Rental agreement: means all agreements, written or oral, which establish or modify the terms, conditions, rules, regulations, or any other provisions concerning the use and occupancy of a dwelling unit and premises. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 521-8
  • Tenant: means any person who occupies a dwelling unit for dwelling purposes under a rental agreement. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 521-8
(b) Within three days of the receipt of the request in subsection (a), the landlord shall change the locks at the tenant’s expense. If the landlord fails to act within the three-day period, the tenant may change the locks without the landlord’s permission and shall give the landlord a key to the new locks.
(c) If the person who committed domestic violence against the tenant or immediate family member of the tenant is also a party to the rental agreement, the locks shall not be changed unless there is a court order requiring the person to vacate the dwelling unit and a copy of the order has been furnished to the landlord.
(d) The tenant shall not be required to pay any additional rent, fees, or security deposit because of the exclusion of the person who committed domestic violence from the dwelling unit.
(e) The person who committed domestic violence against the tenant or immediate family member of the tenant shall not be entitled to any damages or other relief against the landlord or the tenant who in good faith complies with this section.

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