Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

Hawaii House Bill HB635 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 635 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the residential landlord-tenant code. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
2	2
3	3	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B. NO. 635
4	4	THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
6	6
7	7	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
8	8
9	9	H.B. NO.
10	10
11	11	635
12	12
13	13	THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
14	14
15	15
16	16
17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
18	18
19	19
20	20
21	21
22	22
23	23
24	24
25	25
26	26
27	27
28	28
29	29
30	30
31	31	A BILL FOR AN ACT
32	32
33	33
34	34
35	35
36	36
37	37	relating to the residential landlord-tenant code.
38	38
39	39
40	40
41	41
42	42
43	43	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
44	44
45	45
46	46
47	47	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that residential tenants may be vulnerable to landlords who violate the State's residential landlord-tenant code. Tenants who have been subjected to unfair or unlawful treatment may find themselves unable to protect their rights without initiating expensive lawsuits. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to provide more legal protections for residential tenants by allowing tenants who prevail in a lawsuit for a violation of the residential landlord-tenant code to be awarded damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs of the suit. SECTION 2. Chapter 521, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part VI to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§521- Amount of recovery. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter and notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any tenant who is directly affected by a violation of this chapter may sue for damages, and if the judgment is for the plaintiff, the plaintiff shall be awarded: (1) A sum of no less than $1,000, or threefold the plaintiff's sustained damages, whichever is greater; (2) Reasonable attorney's fees; and (3) The costs of the suit." SECTION 3. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date. SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
48	48
49	49	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that residential tenants may be vulnerable to landlords who violate the State's residential landlord-tenant code. Tenants who have been subjected to unfair or unlawful treatment may find themselves unable to protect their rights without initiating expensive lawsuits.
50	50
51	51	Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to provide more legal protections for residential tenants by allowing tenants who prevail in a lawsuit for a violation of the residential landlord-tenant code to be awarded damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs of the suit.
52	52
53	53	SECTION 2. Chapter 521, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part VI to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
54	54
55	55	"§521- Amount of recovery. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter and notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any tenant who is directly affected by a violation of this chapter may sue for damages, and if the judgment is for the plaintiff, the plaintiff shall be awarded:
56	56
57	57	(1) A sum of no less than $1,000, or threefold the plaintiff's sustained damages, whichever is greater;
58	58
59	59	(2) Reasonable attorney's fees; and
60	60
61	61	(3) The costs of the suit."
62	62
63	63	SECTION 3. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
64	64
65	65	SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.
66	66
67	67	SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
68	68
69	69
70	70
71	71	INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
72	72
73	73	INTRODUCED BY:
74	74
75	75	_____________________________
76	76
77	77
78	78
79	79
80	80
81	81	Report Title: Residential Landlord-tenant Code; Damages; Attorney's Fees Description: Allows tenants who prevail in a lawsuit for a violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to be awarded damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs of the suit. The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
82	82
83	83
84	84
85	85
86	86
87	87	Report Title:
88	88
89	89	Residential Landlord-tenant Code; Damages; Attorney's Fees
90	90
91	91
92	92
93	93	Description:
94	94
95	95	Allows tenants who prevail in a lawsuit for a violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to be awarded damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs of the suit.
96	96
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100
101	101
102	102
103	103	The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.