Moving to Maui - need help (Honolulu, Kailua: renters, house, safe area)

[trinity1111]

Yeah, that was before Maui turned into the 'Valet Aisle" lol

[MitchTempo]

Its better than it used to be, but I don't know about how far back you mean. 15 years ago I wouldn't walk down that road at night. Now its better, and there's a bus stop right on that corner.

[DancingSea]

Maui does have a different mindset about pets and renting, part of it reasonable, part of it not. Fleas are a legit issue in the tropics. I once moved into an apartment where the previous tenant had 2 cats for 8 years. Carpets were cleaned and we moved in. Right away, many fleas were attacking our legs. Flea Busters was brought in. Did not work. Carpet had to be replaced with us spending a week in a vacant apartment that could not be rented to others because we were there.

Noise is another legitimate issue, particularly in tight living quarters with mostly open windows. Dogs add lots of noise to an already noise challenged environment. And then there's the pee and poop issues, as well as liability should the dog attack anyone and for some reason *so* many dogs in Hawaii are pit-bull mixes, dogs that would be illegal in Denver or Miami - yet are cherished in Hawaii. However, save the tropical flea/ pit-bull issue, a place like dog crazy Boulder, CO or even New York City, a complete universe of tight spaces, all somehow overcome the same dog/ cat issues Maui refuses to. In the end, a Maui landlord will rent their space, and with no pressure to accept pets (as most others do not), there is no incentive to take on the pet risk. I would flatly not rent to tenants with pets, even though I am a pet owner/ lover.

You think you have pet issues, I have a friend with 4 dogs, 12 goats, and 4 horses - and she rents, in a very select set of properties mind you... That said, you'll find upcountry properties to be slightly more open to pets than the rest of the island, you can offer a larger deposit to set their mind at ease.

[MitchTempo]

In Hawaii the maximum deposit allowed is 1 months rent. You cannot offer or landlords cannot accept a higher than 1 month rent for the deposit. You cannot do a pet deposit separately unless the total collected its less than or equal to the monthly rent amount. All amounts must be refundable at the end of the lease.


SECURITY DEPOSIT — Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs

[DancingSea]

Originally Posted by MitchTempo

In Hawaii the maximum deposit allowed is 1 months rent. You cannot offer or landlords cannot accept a higher than 1 month rent for the deposit. You cannot do a pet deposit separately unless the total collected its less than or equal to the monthly rent amount. All amounts must be refundable at the end of the lease.


SECURITY DEPOSIT — Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs

Call it what you want, in the end, it amounts to providing more security money to a landlord in order for them to feel comfortable with allowing your pet to be there. Believe it or not, the DCCA does not directly oversee the practical reality of every rental transaction on Maui. For instance, there are many many many illegal rentals on Maui, rental spaces that do not legally qualify as a rental - like a landlord renting 2 ohana spaces on their property when county has only zoned one - yet landlords rent them anyway and do not inform the unsuspecting tenant that a single complaint to the county by a grumbling neighbor will have the tenant evicted in 24 hours, no notice. Not everything goes by the book, though I agree, it ought to.

Offering a landlord several hundred dollars, legal or not, may persuade a reluctant landlord, as most are, to allow you to move in with your pet. That's not DCCA law, that's jungle law

[whtviper1]

As a landlord - there is no way I'd accept more than 1 month security - way to easy to be taken to court in Hawaii.

What you do is offer more rent.

[DancingSea]

One way or the other, no matter how you slice it, more money, in some form or the other, be it rent, or under the table deposit that your landlord may return to you one day (hence why it happens often this way) - or giving him 50 lbs of fresh mahi mahi you caught yesterday - paying out in some form, as it has done since to dawn of time, may get you an exception....

[trinity1111]

Found a place where the Landlord welcomes and accepts dogs!!
Looking at the numbers it
looks like he's hedging the risk with highly inflated rent, but that's ok, we're thrilled to find this
place...
I suppose everyone spends money on what's a priority to them and our dogs enhance our quality of life, and contribute to making a new place feel like home.

On that note, what's policy of having dogs at public beaches? Is there any dog parks in Kihei? Mahalo !!

[HiloDiver]

Google works pretty well here on Big Island.

January likely opening for dog park - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News

When the park opens, it will be Maui's second official dog park. The other dog park is in Wailea, off Kilohana Drive and Kapili Street, and is run by the Wailea Community Association.

This is all I could find with a quick search for dogs on Maui county beaches (look at #2). You could poke around more yourself, or just call the county.

Different island, different laws...pets seem to be prohibited at all Hawaii county beaches and most county parks, but we still see them from time to time. It doesn't seem to be enforced but, different county, could be different laws/different levels of enforcement.

[DancingSea]

Not sure of specific Maui County ordinance for dogs on beaches, you can call the Parks and Recreation department at 808-270-7230. Then you will likely be one of the very few citizens who knows the actual rule. I venture to guess enforcement varies from beach to beach, some people certainly do bring their dogs and will know where it's "ok" to go. At the very least, if your dogs like to run around and bother people, keep them on a leash, and obviously clean up their poop.

I'm sorry you are having to pay higher rent. A strategy that does work, and is less expensive, is to go see a place, let the landlord get to know you, talk story, bring your financial/ job information, offer to let them contact your employer, and otherwise impress them with your worthiness, and then bring up the issue of dogs with the offer of extra deposit money to ease their fears. That way you don't pay higher rent, and if your dogs do no damage, get the deposit back. I have seen this work a number of times.