Hawaii Move-Out
Checklist

30–45 days before move-out · Written notice required · Your lease controls the timeline

• CriticalRead your lease — find the exact notice clause — know the required number of days and whether it must arrive by a specific date (e.g. "first of the month")
• CriticalWrite your notice to vacate — include your name, unit number, property address, intended move-out date, and submission date. Keep it factual and brief.
• CriticalSend via certified mail AND email — certified mail creates a legally documented timestamp; email creates a second independent record. Do both. HRS §521-71
• Photograph your notice before sending — back it up to cloud storage, not just your phone
• Save USPS tracking confirmation — confirms delivery date and time
• Save any acknowledgment from management — email, text, or written response confirming receipt
• Request a joint walk-through in writing — ask management to conduct a final inspection with you present before move-out. This is your chance to dispute claims before they become deductions.

1–2 weeks before move-out · Do this before you start cleaning · This is your evidence

• CriticalVideo walkthrough of every room — narrate as you go. State the date and time aloud at the start. Cover every wall, floor, ceiling, window, door, and fixture.
• CriticalPhotograph every wall in every room — scuffs, marks, nail holes, paint condition. These are mostly normal wear and tear — document them so they can't be billed as damage.
• CriticalPhotograph every appliance — stove, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, AC, washer/dryer. Open them and photograph inside. Note any pre-existing damage or malfunction.
• Photograph all doors, hinges, and locks — condition and operation
• Photograph all windows and screens — cracks, missing screens, frame and seal condition
• Photograph all floors and carpets — worn areas, stains, tears. Wear patterns in high-traffic areas are normal wear and tear and not chargeable. HRS §521-44
• Photograph all bathroom fixtures — toilet, tub, shower, sink, tiles, grout. Note pre-existing stains, rust, or damage.
• Photograph all light fixtures, outlets, and switches
• Compare against your move-in photos — pull up your move-in documentation and compare room by room. Note anything pre-existing.
• Email all photos and video to yourself immediately — creates a second independent timestamp outside your device. Google Photos and iCloud preserve metadata.
• Back up to cloud storage — photos on a phone you lose are photos that don't exist in court

Final days before move-out · Leave it at least as clean as you found it

• Kitchen — clean oven inside and out including burners, drip pans, and exhaust hood
• Kitchen — clean refrigerator inside, outside, top, and underneath. Defrost if needed. Remove all food.
• Kitchen — clean dishwasher inside including filter and spray arms
• Kitchen — clean all cabinet interiors and exteriors, countertops, backsplash, sink
• Bathrooms — scrub toilets, tubs, showers, sinks, tiles, grout, and mirrors
• All rooms — wipe down baseboards, light switches, and outlet covers
• All rooms — clean all windows, sills, and tracks inside and out
• All rooms — vacuum carpets and all floor corners; mop hard floors
• All rooms — wipe down doors, door frames, and closet interiors
• Remove all nails, screws, and wall anchors — spackle small holes to demonstrate good faith (small nail holes are normal wear and tear)
• Remove ALL personal property — anything left behind can be billed as a disposal fee
• CriticalPhotograph the cleaned unit immediately after cleaning — a final video walkthrough after cleaning is proof of condition at move-out

The day you hand over keys · Do not leave without completing all of these

• CriticalFinal video walkthrough of every room — on the day you leave, after the unit is empty and clean. Narrate the date and time aloud.
• CriticalPhotograph all utility meter readings — electric, water, gas if applicable. Date and time in frame.
• Return all keys, fobs, gate remotes, and parking passes — get written acknowledgment of what was returned and when
• CriticalGet a written, signed receipt for key return — date, time, items returned, management signature. The 14-day deposit return clock starts here. HRS §521-44
• If joint walk-through occurs, take notes — write down everything management says. Do not agree verbally to any charges. Get concerns from management in writing before signing anything.
• Do not sign any document waiving deposit rights — you cannot be required to waive your right to a deposit return as a condition of returning keys
• CriticalProvide your forwarding address in writing — via email AND certified mail. Management cannot later claim they did not know where to send the deposit. HRS §521-44
• Cancel or transfer all utilities effective today
• File a USPS change of address form
• Log today's timeline — arrival time, departure time, who was present, what was said

After move-out · Hawaii law is clear · 14 days, full stop

• CriticalMark day 14 on your calendar — count from the date you returned keys and vacated, not from when you gave notice
• Days 1–14 — wait — do not contact management demanding the deposit before day 14. The clock is running.
• If deposit arrives in full within 14 days — review carefully, deposit the check, keep all records
• If itemized statement arrives within 14 days — review every deduction. Challenge anything that is normal wear and tear or pre-existing damage. Respond in writing.
• CriticalIf day 14 passes with nothing — send demand letter immediately — certified mail, keep proof. See the template below.
• Dispute deductions in writing — state specifically which deductions you contest and why, with photo evidence attached
• Contact Hawaii Legal Aid for free guidance — 808-244-3731
• File with Hawaii AG Consumer Protection if needed — 808-586-1282
• File in Hawaii Small Claims Court — no dollar limit for deposit claims. Minimal filing fee. No lawyer required.

Use this if 14 days pass with no deposit and no itemized statement