Part C is "Defenses to Complaint"
This section is your chance to dispute specific claims made in the Complaint. Read the Complaint again and direct your attention to "Statement #6"
If "Unpaid Rent" is checked and you disagree, check:
1. "I dispute the amount of money owed to the landlord."
Check this box if your landlord calculated your back rent incorrectly, or if he/she claims that you did not pay rent for a given month. To effectively prove that you paid rent for the months in question, you will need to submit copies of your rental receipts as evidence.
If "Other" is checked and your landlord claims that you failed to maintain the unit, check:
2. "I have kept up and maintained my rental unit (HRS §521-51)"
To demonstrate to the court that you maintained the unit during your tenancy, provide photos of the unit taken the day you moved in and hold them side-by-side to photos taken leading up to the hearing. You may also want to ask friends, roommates, or family members to provide witness testimony during the hearing.
If "Other" is checked and your landlord claims that you violated a house rule, check:
3. "I have not violated any house rules (HRS § 521-52)"
Obtain a copy of your rental agreement and locate the paragraph(s) stating house rules. If there are no written house rules, you can argue that no violation occured since you did not agree to any specific set of rules when you entered into the rental agreement. Ultimately, it will be your word against your landlord's in a dispute over house rules. You might want to add witness testimony to help you persuade the judge.