The Pet Deposit: How much more you can collect
Having a pet is a privilege many tenants would pay more to enjoy, but did you know that in addition to collecting a higher rental rate, Hawaii’s law now also allows you to collect a pet deposit equivalent to one month’s rent.
Whereas prior to this change, one month’s rent was the maximum a landlord was able to collect at the start of a tenancy, SB 328 essentially allows up to TWO MONTHS’ deposit from a tenant with a pet. This, of course, makes it a lot more amenable to allowing pets, since the potential damage Fido might do is mitigated by the additional deposit.
This bill does not apply to service animals.
