Latest from HRHPA

When several applications arrive for one home, the hardest part is often deciding what happens next. A small housing provider needs time to review each household carefully, but asking people to apply without explaining the process creates confusion for everyone. Establish your procedure before the first application arrives. That procedure can include collecting a screening fee from each adult applicant whose application you accept for processing. What matters is that you foll

In Hawaiʻi, living next door or very near to your rental housing provider is not unusual. A resident may rent an ʻohana unit behind a family home, one side of an owner-occupied duplex, a cottage on a larger property, or an accessory dwelling unit just a few steps from the housing provider’s front door. For a housing provider, this arrangement can feel ideal. You are close enough to notice when something needs attention, respond quickly to a repair, keep an eye on the proper

Owning a rental property does not mean a housing provider may enter whenever it is convenient. Once a resident takes possession, the rental unit becomes the resident’s home. The housing provider still owns the property and remains responsible for protecting and maintaining it, but the resident also has a legitimate expectation of privacy. Hawaii law attempts to balance both interests.

Ask someone to picture a landlord, and chances are they'll imagine a large real estate company, a national investment firm, or a corporation that owns hundreds of apartment units. That image may exist in some parts of the country, but it doesn't reflect the reality of much of Hawaii's long term rental housing. Across our islands, tens of thousands of rental homes are owned by ordinary people. They are retirees who depend on rental income to supplement Social Security. They ar

When preparing a rental agreement, the lead-based paint disclosure can feel like just one more form in an already crowded move-in packet. For Hawaii housing providers, however, this disclosure deserves more than a quick signature. Hawaii has a substantial inventory of homes and condominiums built before the federal government banned residential lead-based paint in 1978. A state housing inventory based on 2015 property records counted more than 94,000 single-family homes and 2

If you live in Hawaii, you know pest control isn’t a once-in-a-while issue. It’s a year-round part of home mainteance. The question isn’t whether bugs, rodents, or termites will make an appearance. The question is who’s responsible for dealing with them once a tenant is living in the unit. The starting point is simple. Hawaii law requires that a rental unit be habitable. That means clean, safe, and reasonably free of things that could harm the health of the tenant. If a home

If there is one thing that can quickly damage the relationship between a housing provider and a resident, it is a repair that seems to take forever. Most residents are not upset because something broke. Homes are complicated, and things wear out. Water heaters fail. Appliances stop working. Plumbing leaks. Air conditioners decide to quit on the hottest day of the year. Those things happen. What creates frustration is the silence between the report and the repair. Imagine you

A proposal currently before the Honolulu Charter Commission would establish an Empty Homes Tax and dedicate the revenue to affordable housing and homelessness programs. On the surface, that may sound reasonable. After all, who wants homes sitting empty while local families struggle to find housing? But before we start debating whether an Empty Homes Tax is a good idea, we should be asking a different question: Why is this proposal being pushed through the Charter process ins

tecting property. It is also about helping residents stay informed, prepared, and safe before conditions become stressful and chaotic. For many independent housing providers, especially those managing property themselves, hurricane preparation often gets pushed aside during busy months. For Hawai’i hurricane season begins along side the busiest move-season of the year. It is easy to assume there is still plenty of time. But every year, emergency officials remind Hawaiʻi resid

For many independent rental housing providers, managing a property means constantly balancing business realities, legal obligations, and relationships with the people who live in your units. It is easy to focus on the operational side of things. Rent collection, maintenance, compliance. But from a resident’s perspective, the rental home is not just an asset. It is where they live their daily life. It is their space, their routine, and often one of the largest expenses they ca

Fair housing has always been part of the job. For rental housing providers in Hawai‘i, it’s not optional, and it’s not new. Most owners understand the basics: treat applicants consistently, avoid discrimination, follow your process. That foundation still matters. But the conversation is starting to shift. A recent measure at the Legislature, SCR 184, signals where things are heading next. The resolution asks the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to examine how existing anti-disc

There is a moment that often changes the tone of a housing relationship. It is not always a missed payment or a maintenance issue. It is the moment a formal notice is received. For housing providers, a notice is a routine part of managing property. It is a necessary step that creates documentation, sets expectations, and ensures compliance with the law. For many residents, it feels very different. A notice can feel like a signal that something is going wrong. Even when it is

There is a side of rental housing that rarely gets discussed. It is not found in statutes or policy debates. It does not show up in headlines. It does not generate empathy. But for many independent housing providers in Hawaii, it is becoming increasingly familiar. It is the quiet weight of managing housing in today’s environment. For those who own and manage one or two properties, rental housing is not an abstract investment. It is personal. It’s often tied to long-term finan