Oahu Rentals | Tenants want CLEAN Oahu Rental Properties

As an Oahu property manager, I am frequently approached by many prospective tenants who ask if I have any available rental properties on Oahu.  I always ask what type of Oahu rental Clean, freshly painted walls and clean carpet make a great first impression.property they are looking for and where.  No matter the size of the Oahu rental property or where they are looking, the first descriptive word prospective renters use is Clean.  They would like a clean, 3 bedroom home for rent in Kailua.  Or, a clean, 2 bedroom condo for rent in Honolulu  

Unfortunately, “clean,” when describing an Oahu rental property, is a subjective description.  Some think of clean as free from dirt.  Some think of clean as white, and new (or newer).  Some think of clean as a bathroom without a ring in the toilet or mold in the shower.  Most prospective Oahu rental property tenants however, think of clean as all of those things – fresh paint, clean bathrooms, no dirt – and what they see will form their first impression.

My advice to owners that are preparing their Oahu rental property for rent is two fold – first:  clean it – have someone else (a professional) clean it.  If there is mold in the shower, remove it by removing the old caulk, or bleaching the spots you can’t remove.  Re-caulk!  It’s cheap, and you can do it yourself.  If there is a ring in the toilet, get a pumice stone and get it out.  Clean the insides of the drawers and Walls don’t have to be white! Accent colored walls are fantastic way to add color to a room.cabinets, under the refrigerator and stove, and inside the closets!  Clean the windows and the screens – all of them!  Second:  Paint.  Paint is cheap, and while painting is not cheap, it is something most people can do, or can learn to do.  You don’t have to choose the whitest white – in fact I recommend against it.  But fresh paint: the smell, the look, and the feel gives most Oahu rental properties an updated and new feel.  Most importantly – a clean Oahu rental property shows the prospective tenants the owners care about the product they are offering. 

For additional advice on how to prepare your Oahu rental property for rent, contact Home Shoppe Hawaii today!

Ossipoff Home for Rent: Architect-Designed Oahu Rental Property with History

Ossipoff homes or any other architect designed homes for rent are desirable, yet hard to find in Honolulu.  So Home Shoppe Hawaii is pleased to be currently marketing for rent a 1961 Ossipoff designed home in Waialae Nui Ridge, above Kahala.   Referred to by the Honolulu Acadamy of the Arts as “Hawaii’s most important modern architect[i],” Ossipoff was well known for incorporating the topography into his design, and for creating seamless indoor/outdoor living spaces.  This stunning Oahu rental home is built against the hillside, set apart from neighbors (also Ossipoff designed homes) so as to take advantage of the breathtaking ocean, Diamond Head and city views.

Breathtaking views from this Ossipoff designed Oahu rental property.

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Where to Find a Kailua Rental Property

Drive through the Kailua neighborhood you want to be in, and look for signs!I answer this question about Kailua rental properties each week.  With Kailua’s idyllic lifestyle, beautiful beaches and proximity to everywhere – many wish to settle here.  If you are like so many others looking for a Kailua rental property – and we don’t have anything available — try the following links:

• The Oahu MLS rentals can be found at www.hicentral.com

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Oahu Property Management | Setting Monthly Rent for Oahu Rental Properties Part 4

How to Set the Monthly Rent for your Oahu Rental Property
Part 4 – MARKET VARIABLES AND TESTING THE RENT

In our previous posts we discussed the property, researching Oahu rental properties and setting the rent range … and in this post we will focus on what variables we should consider, and importantly learning how we determine if we set the rent right.

After determining what my Oahu rental property has to offer, researching what other properties on the market are offering and asking, and setting the rent range, I take a look at market variables.  Market variables include

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Oahu Property Management | Setting Monthly Rent for Oahu Rental Properties Part 3

How to Set the Monthly Rent for your Oahu Rental Property
Part 3 – RESEARCH RENTALS AND SETTING THE RENTAL RANGE

In our previous post, we chatted a bit about what criteria to use when viewing your Oahu rental property and other Oahu rental properties.  You should have a pretty good list of the attributes your property offers, and also a list of advantages, or a small list of shortcomings.  We need to find out for how much other Oahu rental properties in your area have rented, and for how much available properties are being offered.

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Oahu Property Management | Setting Monthly Rent for Oahu Rental Properties PART 2

How to Set the Monthly Rent for your Oahu Rental Property
Part 2 — VIEW PROPERTY 

In my previous blog post – I outlined some challenges we face when deciding on a market rent rate for an Oahu rental properties, and provided my formula for determining market rents on Oahu:

A.  View Property

B.  Research Rentals

C.  Research Market Variables

D.  Set Rent

               The first step is to view property – not just YOUR property, but other Oahu rental properties as well!  If you can see others in person, that would be helpful, but pictures and phone calls will suffice.

               To ensure that you are comparing Oahu rental properties of similar status, size, and quality, you should pay attention to at least the following factors:

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Oahu Property Management | Setting Monthly Rent for Oahu Rental Properties PART 1

How can I determine how much to charge for monthly rent on my Oahu rental property? 

What is the fair market rent for my Oahu rental property? 

I am collecting $X per month in rent … is this fair rent for my Oahu rental property?

I get asked these questions all the time.  I often wonder if there is a secret formula out there that I am not aware of and so every so often, I Google® it.  The truth is, every property manager and owner manager sets the rent for their rental properties differently.  Some use comps, others add market conditions, and first-time Oahu investment owners often take into consideration their monthly mortgage/tax/insurance payment.  Add to this, the fact that in Hawaii, we don’t have good rental statistics from which to compare monthly rents (that is, statistics on Oahu investment properties that are rented rather than on offer for rent).   In fact, the only way Oahu property managers can determine what rental properties are actually rented for is to use their currently rented inventory as a gauge and to search our MLS for “rented” properties. 

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