§4233 Lease Requirements and Tenant Selection

Summary

Unless Hawaii law says otherwise, leases for housing paid for with these federal grants must follow certain rules. Leases cannot have unfair rules. They must require the landlord or manager to keep the housing in good condition and meet housing codes. Landlords must give the proper written notice before ending a lease, using the time required by state or local law. Eviction or termination notices must tell tenants they can look at any papers or records about the case before any hearing or trial. A landlord may not end a tenancy during the lease except for serious or repeated lease breaches, breaking the law, or other good cause. A landlord may end a tenancy if the tenant, a household member, or a guest does things that threaten others’ health or safety, disturb neighbors’ peace, or commit criminal activity (including drug crimes) on or off the property. To receive these grants, the Director must have written rules for choosing tenants and homebuyers. Those rules must aim to house low-income families. They must be tied to who is eligible and who can meet the lease duties. The rules must pick people from a written waiting list according to the goals of an approved housing plan under section 4223, and they must quickly tell any rejected applicant in writing why they were turned down.