Hawaii Rental Application Form
Living in Hawaii is a dream for many. So, if you’re considering renting a property in the Aloha State, you must submit a Hawaii rental application form. It is a document that indicates your interest in the property and puts you in contention with other prospective tenants.
A rental application form provides consent for a landlord to conduct a background check on prospective tenants. The background check will include looking into the applicants’ credit scores to ensure that the chosen tenant can afford to pay the monthly rent.
Most landlords prefer to rent out properties to those with a credit score of 620 or higher. The applicant’s income and employment also matter.
Landlords also look into applicants’ eviction records because they don’t want to take a risk on somebody who has a bad history with past tenancies. A criminal history is also a red flag, especially if it is for a felony that will make other tenants in the building feel unsafe.
It’s important to note that while the landlord can look into your background, they cannot disregard your application based on certain biases. According to the Federal Fair Housing Act, landlords cannot reject tenant applications because of their race, gender, country of origin, religion, familial status, or disability.
Rental Application Fee
In Hawaii, the standard application fee is $20 per person or for married couples. The application fee is non-refundable because it will be used to pay for the firm performing the background check. The fee also covers administrative expenses.
Security Deposits
According to Hawaii law, landlords may collect a security deposit from the tenant at the beginning of the lease. The security deposit cannot exceed the equivalent of a month’s rent.
Unlike the rental application fee, which is non-refundable even upon rejection, the security deposit must be refunded to the tenant within 14 days.
The security deposit will only be returned after necessary deductions. If there is damage to the property, the cost of the repair will be subtracted from the security deposit. Unpaid rent or penalty for the tenant’s failure to return the keys following the termination of the tenancy can also be deducted.
Early termination of the lease agreement will also result in a financial charge deducted from the security deposit (HI Rev Stat § 521-44).