Moving to Oahu

[Ducer]

Aloha,

My wife recently accepted a job position at a hospital on Oahu and now we are looking for a place to live starting at the end of December. She'll be working in Aiea and Honolulu, needing to be at work fairly early (7:30am or so). What are some neighborhoods to focus on to find a rental? Right now my early searchs indicate there are numerous rentals in the Ewa beach area and Kapolei. What kind of commute is likely from these areas by car?

I also understand it is difficult to obtain a rental without being on the island. Given that, what do most people do in the meantime while looking? Would corporate short term lease housing be a good choice over a hotel room?

Any help that can be provided will be greatly appreciated!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Moving to Oahu

I also understand it is difficult to obtain a rental without being on the island. Given that, what do most people do in the meantime while looking? Would corporate short term lease housing be a good choice over a hotel room?

What's "corporate short term lease housing"? Is that something your wife's employer is offering?

[Ducer]

Re: Moving to Oahu

No, the hosptial is not offering housing, but I have found numerous short term rentals (month by month) of furnished studios avalible in Honolulu (or nearby). They seem to be averaging around $1000/month, which, if it is likely to take that long to find a place, would be less than paying by the day at a hotel.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Moving to Oahu

No, the hosptial is not offering housing, but I have found numerous short term rentals (month by month) of furnished studios avalible in Honolulu (or nearby). They seem to be averaging around $1000/month, which, if it is likely to take that long to find a place, would be less than paying by the day at a hotel.

Oh, that. OK. Month-to-month rentals are pretty common. Lots of rentals may start with, say, a six-month lease, and then go month-to-month after the initial lease period. And yes, it would definitely be cheaper than hotels.

[TurquoiseDuck]

Re: Moving to Oahu

You may have some success if you contact a rental agency and have them look for you. You have have to take a place before you even see it. It is hard to rent a place with out actually being on the island. The rental market is very tight right now. Be prepared to come up with first month's rent, security deposit equal to but no more than one month's rent. It is against the law to charge a security deposit that is more than one month's rent. If you need a parking space be sure one comes with the place you rent. Not all places have parking.

You could also get a "vacation rental" for a few weeks or months while you look for a place to live. You can do this online with a credit card. Usually they want full payment two weeks before you arrive.

You will need to fill out an application if you rent long term. There is a nominal fee for this..... which can be only $10.00 and some times as high as $45.00. They ask for permission to do a credit check, they want personal references, they want to be able to contact your current landlord to see what kind of a renter you are and some places also do back ground checks before they will rent to you. They also want proof of ability to pay your rent, which means you have to take in two current pay stubs for them. They want your checking account # and your saving account #. Some places require that you attend a showing of the place before they will take your application.

The electric company here is HECO. The telephone company is Hawaiian Telecom. The cable tv is Oceanic. The water here is included in the rent.

Also if you want to look here are a few good links for you.

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/apa/

http://rentalsillustrated.com/search...01250&start=20

http://www.dodreferral.com/index_mil.php Choose Hickam AFB

There are two newspapers.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap....dll/frontpage

http://starbulletin.com/


Good Luck