How can you organise an apartment to rent before you get there? (rentals)

[fluroyellow]

Hi
i have heard it is very difficult to organise an apartment to rent before you get there.We would like to rent in waikiki oahu, or somewhere close to transport and beaches.

by apartment i mean a small a one bedroom in high rise complex (im from new zealand, not sure if we call it the same thing).

Anyway we will have work arranged for my husband before we leave N.Z do you think providing people proof of this will be enough to get them to rent to us? We would like to just organise a rental home before we leave our country.

Any advice on how to get people to trust that we will be there?
Or is it better to wait till we get there? how long could it take to get a place?

We are only looking to rent for 3 months?
Does anyone know of anygood short term fully furnished complex's?
Mahalo,
Rachel

[Cheburashka]

don't waste your time searching while in NZ. Get in here, rent a hotel room for 2 days and start checking available rentals.

[fluroyellow]

How long did it take you to find an apartment rental?

[Sorcerer68]

Yes, don't try to rent from off island. Ever.

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer68

Yes, don't try to rent from off island. Ever.

I disagree. Here's a way you might do it:

There is an organization called VRBO, which stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner. (Disclosure: I have no interest in VRBO, but I advertise there).

VRBO lists houses, condos, villas, etc. for rent by owners, by the day, week, and month. You might find one there that would suit you. Perhaps for a week, perhaps for longer. Most have calendars that will show you availability. Many have guestbooks that contain comments by past guests.

Ask for references. Ask if the photos are recent. Look for a guestbook with lots of satisfied customers over several years.

Below is the link to their Waikiki listings. They are sorted by the building name, and if you find something that looks good, you can probably get a good description of the building by putting the name in Google.

Look (at the very bottom of the page) how long the property has been with VRBO, which has been around since the mid 90's. Mis-representation will get you kicked off VRBO, and that is a fate worse than death to a VR owner.

Waikiki Vacation Rentals - VRBO® is Vacation Rentals by Owner Waikiki - Waikiki Hotels, Waikiki Lodging, Waikiki Travel and Tourism

Hank

[HankDfrmSD]

Just to give you an idea of their scope, VRBO is world wide, with almost 89,000 listings. You might be able to find places in your home town to check out, and give you confidence.

..VRBO® is Vacation Rentals by Owner® Vacation Homes Rentals by Owner