RELATING TO HOUSING.

Housing

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: MIYAKE, EVSLIN, LAMOSAO
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on enforcement or the number of people affected.

Clarifying Housing Rules for Rent-to-Own Program

This bill changes the rules for a program that lets people buy homes by renting them first, specifying that houses must be sold with full ownership (fee simple) or leasehold on state or county land with a lease lasting at least ninety-nine years and extending the period during which the sale price remains fixed to ten years.

What This Bill Does

Clarifies that dwelling units eligible under the Rent-to-Own Program shall be for sale in fee simple or leasehold on state or county land under a lease with an initial term of no less than ninety-nine years.
Increases the time period during which the sales price must remain fixed from five to ten years after the rental agreement is executed.

Who It Names or Affects

People who want to buy homes through the Rent-to-Own Program
The corporation managing the Rent-to-Own Program

Terms To Know

Fee Simple: A type of property ownership where a person has complete control over their land and can sell or lease it without restrictions.
Leasehold: An arrangement where someone rents the right to use a piece of land for a long period, often with an option to buy later.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify who will enforce these changes.
It is unclear how many people will be affected by this change in the program's rules.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment changes the Rent-to-Own Program to allow units with leaseholds of at least ninety-nine years to be included, and extends the fixed sales price period from five to ten years.

Expands eligibility for the Rent-to-Own Program to include dwelling units on state or county land under a lease with an initial term of no less than ninety-nine years.
Increases the duration during which the sale price remains fixed from five years to ten years.

The amendment text does not provide details about how the extended period affects existing participants in the program.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-13 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-13 H
Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 583) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-12 H
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
2025-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Wednesday, 02-12-25 9:00AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to HSG, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HOUSING.
Housing; Rent-to-Own Program; Fee Simple; Leasehold
Clarifies that dwelling units eligible under the Rent-to-Own Program shall be units that are for sale in fee simple or leasehold on state or county land under a lease with an initial term of no less than ninety-nine years. Increases the time the sale price under the program must remain fixed from five years to ten years. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB525

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

525

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to housing
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 201H-181, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending its title and subsections (a) through (b) to read as
follows:

����
"
[
[
]�201H-181[
]
]
�
Rent-to-own program.
�
(a)
�

The corporation may establish a rent-to-own program under which dwelling
units that are for sale
:

����
(1)
�
In fee simple; or

����
(2)
�
Leasehold on state or county land
under a lease with an initial term of not less than ninety-nine years,

may be
rented to program participants.
�
Under
this program, the corporation shall credit a portion of the rent received
toward the purchase of the unit.

����
(b)
�
The sales price shall be established at the
beginning of the rental term and shall remain fixed for the first [
five
]

ten
years after the rental agreement is executed.
�
During this period, the participant shall
have the option of purchasing the unit at the designated sales price.
�
If the participant does not elect to purchase
the unit within the [
five-year
]
ten-year
period, the renter shall
forfeit the right to continue living in the unit and the unit shall be made
available to another purchaser or renter."

����
SECTION
2.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION
3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Housing;
Rent-to-Own Program; Fee Simple; Leasehold

Description:

Clarifies
that the dwelling units eligible for the Rent-to-Own Program shall be units
that are for sale in fee simple or leasehold on state or county land under a
lease with an initial term of not less than ninety-nine years.
�
Increases the time period that the sales
price of dwelling units under the Rent-to-Own Program shall remain fixed from
five years to ten years after the rental agreement is executed.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.