Hawaii landlord withholding security deposit past deadline and lives overseas
landlord tenant attorney Hawaii Aug 9, 2026
Location: Oahu, Hawaii I moved out of a month-to-month rental in Oahu, Hawaii on July 18 after giving proper written notice, which my landlord accepted. My understanding of HRS § 521-44 is that he had 14 days to return my deposit or provide an itemized statement with supporting documentation. That deadline passed on August 1, and I have still received neither. When I followed up, he said he was still “finalizing the move-out review” and preparing documentation for alleged wall damage. He is also now referring to a “fixed-term lease,” even though the tenancy was month-to-month. I plan to file in Hawaii Small Claims Court. The issue is service: he gave a Hawaii address on the lease and owns the property, but I believe he actually lives and works in Amsterdam. As far as I know, he had no local property manager. I called the court to ask about serving someone overseas and, when I mentioned Amsterdam, the person I spoke with basically laughed and said they couldn’t advise me. I will email him asking for his Amsterdam address but highly doubt he will give it to me. Main questions: Is there any point trying to serve him by certified/registered mail at the Hawaii address on the lease? If it comes back unclaimed, what is the next step for serving someone overseas? I've looked into international service and it appears that is my best option but can international service costs be recovered if I win? Is attempting service at his Hawaii address and emailing him a copy sufficient? Assuming he refuses to provide an address in Amsterdam.
