Lockouts and Utility Shutoffs
HRS 521-63 — locked out overnight without a court order is two months' rent, and a shutoff at least three times the rent or $1,000
If the landlord removes or excludes the tenant from the premises overnight without cause or a court order, the tenant may recover possession or end the agreement, and in either case recover two months' rent or two months of free occupancy, plus the cost of suit and reasonable attorney's fees.
Who handles this in Hawaii: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
A landlord may not take back a unit by wilfully cutting or reducing running water, hot water, electricity, gas or another essential service, except where the tenant abandoned or surrendered it. Doing so is an unfair or deceptive practice, with minimum damages of three times the monthly rent or $1,000, whichever is greater.
Sources for this section (2)
- HRS 521-63 — Tenant's remedy of termination at any time; unlawful removal or exclusion
- HRS 521-74.5 — Recovery of possession limited
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.