Hawaii HOA Rules for Board Members (2026)

Key Hawaii deadlines at a glance

Which Hawaii law applies

• Hawaii has two statutes here: chapter 514B for condominiums, which applies to every condominium created in Hawaii, and chapter 421J for planned community associations (HOAs), which applies to every planned community association existing on June 16, 1997 or created after. A planned community excludes condominiums, cooperative housing corporations and time share plans; co-ops are not covered by Kindly Board.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-21(a); §421J-1; §421J-2

• Part VI of chapter 514B (management, which holds the fine, meeting and records rules) does not apply to all-nonresidential condominiums or to condominiums of no more than five units not subject to development rights, except §514B-132.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-101(b)

• A condominium association may levy reasonable fines for violations of the declaration, bylaws, rules and regulations, either under the bylaws or, if the bylaws are silent, under a board resolution that establishes a fining procedure, states the basis for the fine, and allows an appeal to the board with notice and an opportunity to be heard. If the fine is paid, the owner keeps the right to start dispute resolution (mediation under §514B-161 or arbitration under §514B-162).

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11)

• Chapter 421J has no section on fines or a fining procedure. Whether a planned community association (HOA) may fine, and how, comes from its association documents. If they don't give the Board that power, talk to a Hawaii attorney first.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 421J (no fine rule set; fines are mentioned only in §421J-10.5)

How Hawaii counts days

• Hawaii's general rule for an act the law requires: don't count the first day; count the last day, unless the last day is a Sunday or a holiday, in which case it is also excluded. Saturdays are excluded only when court rules say so. Whether this rule reaches a period set by your own documents is a question for a Hawaii attorney.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §1-29

• Hawaii's state holidays: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Presidents' Day (third Monday in February), Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (March 26), Good Friday, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), King Kamehameha I Day (June 11), Independence Day, Statehood Day (third Friday in August), Labor Day, Veterans' Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, general election days in the county where the election is held, and any day the President or the Governor proclaims a holiday. A holiday on a Sunday is observed the following Monday; on a Saturday, the preceding Friday.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §8-1; §8-2

• Hawaii's condominium law (ch. 514B) and planned community law (ch. 421J) set no uniform cure period, no fixed hearing-notice period, no deadline for the board's fine decision and no dollar cap for ordinary violation fines (condominium fines must be reasonable). The steps come from your declaration, bylaws, rules and any fining resolution or enforcement policy.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no violation procedure set)

Violation notices and the chance to fix in Hawaii

• Hawaii law sets no cure period in days for a violation notice; your documents control. 10 to 30 days is common practice, not a legal rule.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no cure period set)

• Hawaii law sets no delivery method for a violation notice; follow your documents. Keep proof of the date and how it was sent.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no delivery method set)

Hearings in Hawaii

• Hawaii law sets no separate path for a one-time violation. Follow your documents: notice and a chance to be heard before any fine is the fair course, and for a condominium the fining procedure must allow an appeal to the board with notice and an opportunity to be heard.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no violation types set)

• A condominium association's fining procedure, if adopted by resolution because the bylaws are silent, must state the basis for the fine and allow an appeal to the board with notice and an opportunity to be heard.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11)

• Hawaii law sets no hearing deadline and no hearing-notice period for a violation. A condominium fining procedure must allow an appeal to the board with notice and an opportunity to be heard; for a planned community, your bylaws and enforcement policy control. At least 10 days' notice of a hearing is common practice, not a Hawaii rule.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no hearing period set)

Fines in Hawaii

• If a tenant violates the documents, a condominium association may act against the owner and, after notice to the tenant and the owner and an opportunity to be heard, may fine the tenant. The owner is responsible for the tenant's conduct and for fines and legal fees from enforcing against the tenant.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(b)

• Hawaii sets no dollar cap on ordinary violation fines. Condominium fines must be reasonable and follow the bylaws or a board fining resolution; for a planned community the amount and process come from your documents.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no fine cap set)

• Condominium payments are applied first to outstanding common expenses, then to other charges assessed to the unit; only after those are paid may late fees, legal fees, fines and interest be paid, under the board's application-of-payment policy.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-105(c)

Assessments, late fees and liens in Hawaii

• A condominium owner who contests a fine, late fee, attorneys' fees or other charge (not common expense assessments) may demand mediation in writing. The owner has 30 days from the date of the written statement the owner requested under §514B-146(d) to file the demand. If the owner demands mediation within those 30 days, the association may not try to collect the disputed charges until it has taken part in the mediation; if the owner doesn't, the association may proceed with collection.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-146(g)

• The mediation is to be completed within 60 days of the owner's request. If it isn't completed in 60 days, or the parties can't resolve the dispute, the association may proceed with collection.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-146(g)

• An owner may not withhold assessments (condominium: common expense assessments) because of a dispute with the association.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-146(e); §421J-10.5(c)

• For a condominium, mediation is mandatory on written request for disputes about interpreting or enforcing the declaration, bylaws or house rules (not for threatened property damage or health and safety, assessments, personal injury, or matters affecting insurance coverage), if the dispute hasn't already been mediated and no action or arbitration has started.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-161(a), (b)

• An association may not use nonjudicial (power of sale) foreclosure on a lien that arises solely from fines, penalties, legal fees or late fees; that foreclosure must be filed in court. Talk to a Hawaii attorney before any lien or lawsuit.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-146(a); §421J-10.5(a)

Meetings and votes in Hawaii

• Condominium board meetings, other than executive sessions, are open to all members, who may take part in deliberation under owner-participation rules the board adopts. Executive session only by majority vote and only for personnel, litigation, attorney-client privilege, or negotiating contracts, leases and other commercial transactions, with the general nature of the business announced first in open session.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-125(a), (b), (c)

• Planned community board meetings, other than executive sessions, are open to all members; non-board members may take part in discussion unless a majority of a quorum of the board votes otherwise. Executive session (by a majority of a quorum) only for personnel, litigation or attorney-client privilege, announced first in regular session. Board members may not vote by proxy; conflicts are disclosed before the vote and recorded; the minutes record each director's vote on all motions except in executive session.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-5(a), (b), (c), (e), (g)

• Notice of a condominium board meeting is posted in prominent locations within the project 72 hours before the meeting (or at the same time as notice to the board), with a list of the business items expected on the agenda. Directors may not vote by proxy; a director with a conflict of interest must disclose it and may not vote on that issue, and the minutes record the disclosure.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-125(e), (f), (g)

• Chapter 421J's 14-day meeting-notice rule applies to association (owner) meetings, not to board or committee meetings; chapter 421J sets no notice period for board meetings. Follow your bylaws.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-3.5(d)

Records in Hawaii

• Condominium records: approved board minutes for the current and prior year must be available free or on 24-hour loan, or sent within 15 days of a request. For other documents the board gives written authorization, or a written refusal with an explanation, within 30 calendar days.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-154(a), (f)

• Planned community records: the association documents, latest financial statement and latest board minutes (not executive session) are available free or on 24-hour loan; approved minutes for the current and prior year are kept at least five years. On a written request to see other documents the board gives written authorization, or a written refusal with an explanation, within 60 calendar days.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-7(a), (b), (e)

Other rules boards should know

• Hawaii law doesn't sort violations into types. Your documents decide whether an ongoing violation gets a period to fix it, and how long.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104(a)(11); ch. 421J (no violation types set)

• A planned community dispute about chapter 421J or the association documents must first go to mediation at the request of any party (with listed exceptions). If mediation isn't completed within two months, no further mediation is required unless both sides agree.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-13

• Costs and reasonable attorneys' fees the association incurs enforcing its documents or the law are payable on demand by the person it acted against. If the condominium association's claims are not substantiated, or the planned community association is not the prevailing party, it pays that person's costs and fees instead.

  Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-157(a); §421J-10(a)

Step by step: a Hawaii violation case

The order Kindly Board walks a Hawaii board through, from the first look to the last letter.

1. Check before you start Every case
   Find the rule, and the steps your own documents require.
2. Courtesy reminder Optional
   A friendly first note before any formal notice.
3. Formal notice of violation Before any fine (per your documents)
   The rule, the facts, the fix-by date and how to be heard, in the form your documents require.
4. Hearing (if the owner asks, or your documents require one) Per your documents
   A fair chance to be heard before the Board decides.
5. Board vote on the fine Before a fine
   Only if your documents allow fines, at a proper board meeting.
6. Notice of fine After the vote
   Amount, due date, how to pay, and the rule behind it.
7. Close the case Every case
   Record how it ended and keep the file.

Hawaii HOA rules: FAQ

Official text

• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-1 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-104 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-2 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-21 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-101 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-10.5 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-146 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-105 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-10 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-157 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-161 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-13 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-125 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-5 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-3.5 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-154 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-7 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §1-29 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §8-2 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §8-1 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §514B-140 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §196-7 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §196-7.5 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §196-8.5 (official text)
• Haw. Rev. Stat. §421J-17 (official text)