studio/hotel living in Oahu? (Wahiawa, Waianae: apartments, renter, HOA)

[ley34]

We’re looking to spend 1400 or less per month on rent and the rest of our housing expenses (in Oahu).

I’ve seen a few affordable studio apartments and hotel rentals.
Will we have room for our boards or bicycles? Will there be parking for our vehicle?
Most importantly will a potential employer take us serious living in a studio/hotel rental?
Please enlighten me if you have any knowledge or experience on this topic.
If you have other suggestions or ideas for affordable housing please let me know.

[whtviper1]

If you aren't picky - you can get places for $1,400 - and have a parking space. Some of those places may have somewhere you can lock your bike - but you should have enough room to put a bike in your place, it will be a bit cramped with 2 people, but possible.

Your employer isn't going to track down your address and care where you live unless you are going for top secret clearance or something.

[Dthraco]

Do-able. When we first moved here we rented a 210sq ft studio for $1,150 a month. Electricity was about $100. The unit came with parking. Coin-op shared laundry facilities. It was about 4 miles from the beach / Waikiki. It was an adjustment getting used to being in a place that small...one I really never adjusted to, nor want to try again. Having 3 cats and 2 humans in a place that small is not for me.

There are places that include utilities, so that helps with not having a moving target for electricity costs. The place we are in now is like that, rent is one price, includes utilities and basic cable. No parking spot though, have to rent that.

If you start watching craigslist for rentals in the area you want, you will see a pattern. There are places that are always renting and places that come and go very quickly. Being here to capture one of the places that go quickly is how we got into the place we are in now.

The places that are always renting have a high turnover for some reason, visiting them tells you why. Best to visit a potential place both in the day, and at night. That first place we were in had exterior lighting so bright that lit the place up. Had to hang black cloth just to get some sleep.

You really have to set some standards for what you want. Check the place out day and night. Is it loud? It it bright? Is there a decent laundry facility? Parking? Dishwasher? Disposal? Gas vs electric stove? Ac in the unit? Loud neighbors? Carpet or tile? etc etc...

I think if you don't have pets, your budget is do-able for possibly even a 1 bedroom. Just depends on finding the right place at the right time. I've said it here before though, it wasn't until I raised our budget before we started seeing places that were liveable to a similar standard to what we were used to on the mainland.

[Jackrabbit808]

Plenty of 1 bed/1 baths for 800-900 in Waianae and Wahiawa.

Now I don't want to steer you wrong but rent is low in those areas for a reason. If you can afford the 900-1000 range for a studio or 1/1 then you can get closer to town in the Salt Lake Blvd area.

Don't expect much in sq feet either. It will be kind of tight for two people, but like stated earlier-doable.

[JayBeeNOLA]

Ley34,

I've been looking for awhile as well, although I am still mainland, so all searches are theoretical at this point:-) That said, check out www dot hicentral dot com. HI Realtor site with rentals for all islands.

Best of luck!

Aloha,
JayBeeNOLA

[Jeepers Creepers]

I am wishing you truly great success!! I am still on mainland searching, but suggest zillow dot and hotpads dot using your own search parameters, The hicentral dot stated before is also good. So far, a couple that sounded good but 800 or 700 furnished was suspicious. They -turns out-wanted renter to pay the condo HOA -"maintenance fee" @ about 500 on average too! yeah, right. Less expensive places seem pretty deplorable frankly. $1200 may get the place but no utilities or much else. Hawaii is really expensive and housing leases of whatever variety are sky high for Oahu . That is regardless of where you find it on the compass . I really hope you locate what you want and be careful of those scams, Visit BEFORE any final place is leased to SEE precisely what you have and if correct, make a deposit then, NOT prior! Peace.

[ley34]

Thank you all for the insight and recources!