Rick Nakama Realty LLC

Local perspective. Personal attention.

Rick Nakama, REALTOR® RB-20356 · Principal Broker

GRI,

Graduate, REALTOR Institute — advanced professional training in real estate brokerage.

AHWD,

At Home With Diversity — certified to serve diverse clients and uphold fair housing.

SFR,

Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource — qualified in short sales and foreclosure transactions.

SRES

Seniors Real Estate Specialist — specialized in serving buyers and sellers age 50+.

Inventory of Premises — HRS § 521-42

Hawaii Residential Landlord-Tenant Code · Study aid, not legal advice

🎙 Voice memo

The rule

Before initial occupancy, the landlord shall inventory the premises and make a written record detailing the condition of the premises and any furnishings or appliances provided.

Duplicate copies — signed by landlord AND tenant
A copy given to each tenant
In court, the executed inventory is presumed correct

The penalty for skipping it

If the landlord fails to make the inventory and written record, the condition at termination is rebuttably presumed to be the same as at move-in.

Translation: the court assumes the tenant caused zero damage, and the landlord carries the burden of proving otherwise.

⚠ Practice pointer — read this twice

Do not provide rental keys before you have the completed, signed inventory form back from the tenant.

Consider what happens if the tenant takes occupancy and then refuses to sign and return the form:

No executed inventory → no presumption in your favor
The court may presume the tenant's damage existed at move-in
You risk recovering nothing — not because the damage didn't happen, but because you can't prove the starting condition

One piece of paper, signed before the keys move. No inventory, no deposit claim.

Created by Hoshi ⭐
in collaboration with Rick Nakama Realty LLC (RB-21724)

Source: HRS § 521-42 (emphases in course print). Statute controls if the webinar conflicts with course materials.