In Hawaii, you may deny access once rent has been unpaid for 15 consecutive days, but only after you send a default notice. You then send a lien notice, a final demand and notice of sale, and the sale date must be at least 30 days after the final demand is mailed.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
Hawaii lien timeline at a glance
Hawaii's self storage rules are Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 507-61 to 507-72, Part III of chapter 507, with the main sections last amended in 2017. This is a stepped process, and every notice must go to both the tenant's email and postal address. The rental agreement must be in writing, say that property may be sold if charges are unpaid for 15 consecutive days, and request an alternate contact, or the lien does not attach.
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Default | Day 0 | Rent or charges due from the tenant go unpaid. | § 507-63 |
| 2. Default notice, access denial | Day 15 | Send to the last known email and postal address (and the alternate contact if provided). State the sums due, that the tenant is in default and denied access, and that a lien may be imposed if unpaid within 15 days. | § 507-63, § 507-70(b) |
| 3. Lien notice | Day 30 (derived) | After the 15 days pass, send a notice of lien: right to use is ended, the amount of the lien, and that you will seize the property after a date at least 15 days from mailing unless paid. | § 507-64 |
| 4. Final demand and notice of sale | After the lien notice period (timing not stated) | Certified mail, postage prepaid, plus email, setting a sale date at least 30 days after mailing. | § 507-65 |
| 5. Advertisement | At least 15 days after the final demand | Once a week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper in the judicial district, or another commercially reasonable method with at least 3 independent bidders. | § 507-66(a) |
| 6. Sale | At least 30 days after the final demand | Commercially reasonable sale, which includes an online site that customarily conducts self storage lien sales. | § 507-65, § 507-66(b) |
Worked example, if each step runs its full period: rent goes unpaid starting January 1. On January 16 (day 15) you send the default notice. On January 31 (day 30) you send the lien notice, which allows seizure after February 15. You send the final demand and notice of sale on February 15 at the earliest, and the sale date is March 17 or later. The first ad runs no sooner than March 2. The statute does not say how soon after the lien notice period the final demand may go, so treat these as derived dates and confirm them with your attorney.
What the Hawaii lien notice must say and how to send it
Hawaii requires email as well as postal mail. The default notice, lien notice and final demand must each go to the last known email address and the last known postal address, postage prepaid. The final demand goes by certified mail, postage prepaid, plus email.
The content grows at each step:
- Default notice (§ 507-63). The claim with sums due and due dates, that the tenant is in default, that use of the space is denied until paid, that a lien may be imposed if unpaid within 15 days, and your name, street address, phone and email.
- Lien notice (§ 507-64). That the right to use the space is ended, that the property is subject to a lien and its amount, and that you will seize it after a date at least 15 days from mailing unless the lien is paid.
- Final demand and notice of sale (§ 507-65). The total due and the sale date, at least 30 days from the mailing.
Alternate contacts and lienholders
Hawaii makes the alternate contact a condition of the lien. The statute does not apply, and the lien does not attach, unless the rental agreement or supporting documents request, and provide space for, the name, address and phone number of another person to receive notices. If the tenant provides one, the default and lien notices go to both addresses and you contact the alternate by phone. The final demand goes to both addresses by certified mail plus a phone contact. If the tenant leaves the space blank, your remedies are not affected (§ 507-70(b)). Check that your lease form has this line.
Advertising the sale
Run the ad no sooner than 15 days after you send the final demand. Publish once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district where the sale is held, or use any other commercially reasonable manner as long as at least three independent bidders participate. The ad includes a general description of the goods, the name of the person on whose account they are stored, the total sums due, and the facility's name and location (§ 507-65, § 507-66(a)).
Late fee limits
Part III has no late fee provision or cap. The rental agreement and general law control. Ask your attorney whether other Hawaii law limits your fee.
Sale rules, surplus and records
- Commercially reasonable sale. That includes an online site that customarily conducts self storage lien sales (§ 507-66(b)).
- Payment before sale. Anyone claiming a right to the goods may pay the lien and reasonable expenses. The goods are then not sold but kept pending a court order. A holder of a perfected security interest may claim the property by paying the total in the final demand.
- Buyer protection. A good faith purchaser takes free of the rights of persons against whom the lien was claimed.
- Surplus. Keep the excess for the tenant. The tenant or another person with a court order may claim it within one year of the sale. After that you pay the remainder to the State under chapter 523A. The tenant remains liable for any deficiency (§§ 507-67 to 507-69).
- Records. No retention period is stated. Keep every notice, the proof of mailing and email, ad proof and sale records.
Vehicles and boats
Personal property under the statute includes motor vehicles and boats (§ 507-61). A lien on a motor vehicle or boat that has attached and is set forth in the documents of title has priority over your storage lien (§ 507-62). We found no separate towing provision, so ask your attorney how to handle a titled vehicle.
Active-duty military (SCRA)
Federal law adds protections for servicemembers, and owners must check military status before a sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958.
Common mistakes checklist
- Leaving the alternate contact line off the lease, so the lien never attaches.
- Sending notices by mail only and skipping email.
- Sending the default notice before 15 consecutive days unpaid.
- Skipping the certified mail for the final demand.
- Setting the sale fewer than 30 days after the final demand.
- Starting the ad fewer than 15 days after the final demand.
- Advertising with fewer than three independent bidders in mind when using a non-newspaper method.
- Paying surplus to the tenant after the one-year mark instead of to the State.
Tools to help
Use the lien timeline calculator to count your dates, read about lien and auction management, and see all state lien laws. The self storage auction process guide covers the sale itself, and the lien notice template gives you a starting draft.
What we could not confirm
We read sections 507-61 to 507-70 from the official Hawaii legislature site. The statute does not say how soon after the lien notice period the final demand may be sent, or whether each 15-day period must run fully before the next notice, so day 30 and the combined timeline are inferences. We left the sale day open because it depends on the final demand date. No late fee rule was found. Check the current code with your attorney.
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney.