Honolulu County, Hawaii

Redeemable Deed998,747 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Redeemable Deed

Redemption periodstate default

1 year from sale

Investor returnstate default

12% per annum on redemption

Governing statutestate default

Hawaii Revised Statutes Ch. 246

Notes

City and County of Honolulu (consolidated) sells tax-delinquent real property at public auction after roughly three years of lien existence under Revised Ordinances of Honolulu §§8-5.1–8-5.9. Recent cycle: in-person auction May 5, 2026, 9:00 a.m. at Mission Memorial Auditorium, 550 S. King Street (registration from 8:00 a.m.; must register by 8:30 a.m.). Highest bidder pays by cashier’s check. Sale is a redeemable tax deed channel (post-sale owner redemption rights apply under Hawaii practice — commonly cited ~1 year right of redemption on tax-deed purchases). Sold as-is; independent due diligence essential.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person

Frequency

Periodically as announced (e.g. May 5, 2026 public auction); watch Star-Advertiser legal notices and BFS Treasury pages

Platform

City & County of Honolulu Director of Budget and Fiscal Services — public tax auction ↗

Deposit rules

In-person public auction to highest bidder via cashier’s check per published notice; registration morning of sale. Confirm exact deposit/payment cutoffs in the current legal notice before attending.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Hawaii tax auction conveys subject to statutory redemption and potential surviving encumbrances (federal liens, certain assessments). Treat as quitclaim-quality conveyance until title is cleared; verify HOA, mortgage, and federal liens independently.

Quiet title

Practically required for clean marketable title/insurance after tax-deed purchase, especially during/after any post-sale redemption window.

Offices and records

Tax collector

City & County of Honolulu — Department of Budget and Fiscal Services / Treasury Division ↗

Clerk of court

State of Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances (records deeds) ↗

Property appraiser

City & County of Honolulu Real Property Assessment Division (qPublic) ↗

GIS / parcel map

Honolulu Real Property Assessment — qPublic parcel search ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Kakaako / Ala Moana corridor

Urban high-rise and job density with constrained island inventory supporting 2025–2026 absorption

Ewa / Kapolei (Second City)

Primary Oahu suburban growth edge with new housing supply and employment nodes west of downtown

Pearl City / Aiea / Pearl Harbor job corridor

Military and industrial employment base with relative liquidity vs. windward luxury pockets