Affordable December Short & Long Term Rentals in Kailua-Kona,Hi? (HOA, condo)

[Tosh_Jona]

Aloha,
My partner and I are relocating to Kailua-Kona on December 10th, along with my service dog! I've contacted every available vacation unit on VRBO and Craigslist, asking for 1-6month pricing for that time frame with not much luck and not willing to accommodate my service dog. I know it is high season, so my question is what is the long term rentals like in the month of December? Starting to get worried that we won't find affordable housing! We don't need much, a studio is more than ample space for us! Mahalo in advanced for your help!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Do you have to be in Kailua-Kona? Maybe you'd have better luck looking further out.

I just looked at VRBO and the first property I looked at (studio condo) had a monthly rate advertised. And it was available December 10 to January 10. I didn't see anything about pets, though, and I can imagine that most places won't be willing to allow dogs.

Perhaps you can find a place on VRBO that doesn't have many bookings and email the owner with an offer for one to two month's rent. If they aren't doing much business, especially over the holidays, maybe they'd be open to a good offer. Just remember that if they are charging $200 a night, then they will want a lot for a whole month.

[Tosh_Jona]

We are open to anything along the west coast! How is the long term rental market during 'high season', minimal options at higher costs or about the same as now? We have really liked a lot lf the available long term rentals on Craigslist now!
Thank you for your advice, I'll continue to message home owners on VRBO. To try to lock something in for the short term- and hope for the best after that!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Don't forget to NEVER EVER rent anything long term, especially from Craigslist, without seeing it in person.

I'm not familiar with long term rental market on the west coast. I live down near South Point (not near where you want to be).

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Tosh_Jona

My partner and I are relocating to Kailua-Kona on December 10th, along with my service dog! I've contacted every available vacation unit on VRBO and Craigslist, asking for 1-6month pricing for that time frame with not much luck and not willing to accommodate my service dog.

Availability is one thing, price is another... I found a 30 day accommodation in Kailua-Kona starting Dec 10 on my first try, but I don't know if $100/night is within in your budget...

But I don't understand the reference to refusal due to your service animal. Under the ADA and Hawai'i law you can't be denied accommodation or housing with a service animal, with few exceptions. From what I've heard, VRBO rentals are not exempt, and HOA bans on dogs don't apply.

I know it is high season, so my question is what is the long term rentals like in the month of December? Starting to get worried that we won't find affordable housing! We don't need much, a studio is more than ample space for us! Mahalo in advanced for your help!

Originally Posted by Tosh_Jona

We are open to anything along the west coast! How is the long term rental market during 'high season', minimal options at higher costs or about the same as now?

In my experience long term rentals (over 6 months) follow a different track than short term rentals do. Someone who rents by the year is unlikely to bother with vacation rentals. But it's probably harder to rent a place long term in December than other times of year, but mostly because a lot of landlords are just too busy with holiday stuff to return calls promptly, not because there are no vacancies.

[Tosh_Jona]

Dreaming of Hawaii- Thank you!
I was hoping for a one month 'affordable' vacation rental option initially and then look for something more permanent. Just concerned that come January 10th we will be up a creek without a paddle and no housing after our short term!

OpenD- Yeah we are trying to stay under $1,500 (hopefully less) for the first month! We have a signifant amount of funds saved up, just not trying to drop a majority of it on short term housing!

In regards to housing and my service dog, that's exactly what I thought! I'm not sure how to go about it! I certainly want to be transparent with my situation, and not blind side anyone. I also don't want to come off to brash with rules and regulations of what they have to accept, then they could easily say they are booked or not respond at all at their own discretion.

Thank you for the last bit of info regarding long term rentals around our time frame, that was what I was afraid of. Trying to be as proactive as possible and not be homeless, while not wanting to lock something in long term via Craigslist 'sight unseen' and trying to keep an eye on the budget! I've also reached out to homeowners regarding house/pet sitting and work exchange. They are not crazy about Kyson (service dog).

Any wording recommendations to have this sit better with homeowners?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

OP, if you check on AirBNB, there are many vacation rentals that allow dogs. Unfortunately, if they allow dogs, they also allow smoking, but if you can tolerate old cigarette smells, then at least they take the dog and smells can be cleaned up.

There are lots of rentals on airbnb that are less than $100 a night, even a few in Kona for that lower rate. It would be worth contacting them to see if you could get a monthly rate. They aren't fancy, but they wil keep the rain off your head and they will allow the dog.

Short term for under $1500 a month in Kona is going to be more difficult, since most places will rent for that much to long term tenants.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

On the service dog issue, the world is chock full of people who are pretending that their pet is a service dog. Those dishonest people make the world much more difficult for those who genuinely need a service dog.

I've even seen it here in C-D, people glibly suggesting that a tenant pretend that their pet is a service dog in order to get the dog into no-pet housing. Some people seem to think it is clever to pretend to be handicapped in order to get special privileges.

I'm a landlord (not in Hawaii. Sorry, can't help you) and I've had so many applicants pretending that their pet is a service dog that I have started to assume that anyone who announces that their dog is a service dog is a cheat and a liar. I suspect that I am not the only landlord who believes that. I feel a lot of sympathy for those who really do need their service dog because their life is made so much more difficult by the cheats and liars.

[Tosh_Jona]

Oregonwoodsmoke- That is what I am afraid of. I genuinely hope that your post is not directed towards me. I too am a landlord, tho I have not had the service dog issue that you have had, I allow pets with additional deposits in my unit (California). I have all my medical paperwork and my dogs paperwork to provide proof. I listed that within my post to contacts in Hawaii. Still no one even asked for documentation. Do you have any other suggestions (as a landlord) when communicating with them in terms of proving that we are in fact not liars and cheaters? I'm sorry that you've had to deal with that. I can't believe someone would do that.

Thank you for that website, I will look into it! We do not require anything fancy or large, just in the general area at a decent price. Then for long term housing we can be a little more specific (hopefully).

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Tosh_Jona

In regards to housing and my service dog, that's exactly what I thought! I'm not sure how to go about it! I certainly want to be transparent with my situation, and not blind side anyone. I also don't want to come off to brash with rules and regulations of what they have to accept, then they could easily say they are booked or not respond at all at their own discretion.

I understand your dilemma, and I empathize with your difficult situation. I also share OWS's disgust with all the people who attempt to game the disability system for their own comfort or convenience. I admit to regularly confronting people who are not themselves disabled if they use marked Handicapped Parking spaces, even if they have a placard on the rearview.. "The placard is for the handicapped person, not for the car," I tell them, "And you can be given an expensive ticket for misusing the privilege." Some seem quite surprised to hear that. I consider it a public service.

In any case, and this is assuming that you are indeed talking about a trained service dog that meets ADA guidelines... no offense, but so far you've been a little vague about that, and you've not used the specific language I'm accustomed to hearing from people who have bona fide ADA service animals... as opposed to a "support" or "comfort" animal, which do not enjoy legal protection under either federal or state laws.

So before giving you the suggestions that occurred to me, I'm moved to ask you these questions, which any business owner of landlord or hotelier is legally entitled to ask you:

(1) Is this animal required because of disability?

and

(2) What work or task has the animal has been trained to perform?

Depending on your answers it may change my advice on how to proceed.
.