HR153 HD1

WHEREAS, rental housing is a vital source of housing for many working families, residents, and locals in Hawaii, with 38.2 percent of Hawaii residents living as renters, according to the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii's 2024 Hawaii Housing Factbook; and

WHEREAS, increasing the availability of rental housing is essential to addressing Hawaii's housing shortage and ensuring stability for residents; and

WHEREAS, landlord-tenant relationships are governed by various state and federal laws, requiring clear understanding and compliance to ensure fair and equitable treatment for tenants and housing providers alike; and

WHEREAS, the increasing complexity of these laws and navigating the court process can create difficulties for tenants and housing providers; and

WHEREAS, clarifying landlord-tenant laws will reduce the number of cases that are brought to court, thus alleviating the burden placed on the judicial system; and

WHEREAS, making improvements to the landlord-tenant law will help housing providers to have more certainty and confidence in their ability to rent their properties and provide Hawaii residents with much needed housing; and

WHEREAS, establishing a working group dedicated to researching and improving the landlord-tenant code and addressing any other relevant landlord-tenant issues would provide an opportunity for collaboration among key stakeholders to identify concerns, evaluate potential solutions, and recommend best practices; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Judiciary is requested to convene a three-year working group to research landlord-tenant issues specific to increasing the availability of rental housing and improving landlord-tenant interactions, including:

(1) Evaluating the challenges faced by landlords and tenants, including legal, financial, and procedural issues that are barriers to offering or obtaining housing;

(2) Best practices and potential landlord-tenant code or other regulatory improvements for property managers, tenants, and property owners;

(3) Determining problem areas that impact property managers, tenants, and property owners and whether educational resources or other solutions can help address those challenges; and

(4) Exploring any other feasible ideas or relevant solutions, pursuant to the discretion of the working group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to comprise the following members:

(1) The Judiciary, or its designee, who is requested to serve as the Chairperson of the working group;

(2) The President of the Senate, or the President's designee;

(3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Speaker's designee;

(4) A representative from the Judiciary with experience in landlord-tenant cases;

(5) An attorney specializing in landlord-tenant laws, to be invited by the Chairperson;

(6) One member who owns the property they are managing, but is not a real estate licensee, to be invited by the Chairperson;

(7) Two members from organizations representing professional property managers--one to be invited by the President of the Senate or the President's designee and one to be invited by the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Speaker's designee;

(8) Two members from organizations representing tenant concerns--one to be invited by the President of the Senate or the President's designee and one to be invited by the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Speaker's designee; and

(9) Any other member deemed necessary that provides the appropriate special expertise, including representatives from organizations with experience in landlord or tenant issues, upon approval by the chairperson; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an initial meeting of the working group be convened no later than July 1, 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested, with the assistance of the Judiciary, to submit an initial report no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Judiciary.

Report Title:

Judiciary; Landlord-Tenant Code; Housing; Working Group

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	153
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII