Honolulu Rental Properties

We've lived in apartments in several cities in the United States and Europe and finding a Honolulu rental was by far the most stressful. And we looked at a lot of Honolulu apartments!

In the past, to find an apartment we walked around, chose the buildings we were interested in and went in to talk to the managers. In Honolulu and Waikiki, the property managers have very limited office hours and more often than not don't have any information about units for sale or rent. So we scoured the local newspapers and online listings and looked at as many places as we could until we found an apartment and a realtor that we liked. The apartment we chose is one we found through the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper and our realtor is Cheryl “Maiki” Mikel, (RA). She is helpful, responsive and always pleasant and professional. If you would like help finding a Honolulu rental, Cheryl would be happy to speak with you.

Viewing Appointments

Usually realtors show Honolulu apartments for the owner. Sometimes realtors announce a pre selected, fixed time for the viewing. Other times, the realtor takes down names and phones numbers of interested parties, then chooses a time and date to show the place. Some realtors show the unit only this once and will not make arrangements for those who cannot make it. Others like Cheryl, are more flexible and will try to work with your schedule.

Remember: if a realtor is representing the owner, you as a renter will be dealing most often with the realtor. If you have trouble with a realtor when you are just looking, you might have trouble when you need help during your lease.

Leases

There is generally a penalty for breaking a lease if you move before the lease is up. Make sure you understand the penalty even if you do expect to stay for the whole lease. Make sure you understand the renter's responsibilities at the end of the lease. For example, some places require the renter to have the carpets cleaned before moving out. Read and understand the lease so you don't have any unpleasant surprises. If you don't understand or agree with certain terms of the lease, get clarification from the realtor or owner. Again, some conditions may be negotiable.

It can be both an exciting time and a tense time when looking for a place to live but once you're moved in and settled, you can really start enjoying all that Honolulu and Waikiki have to offer.

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