Private Home Vacation Rentals?

I am getting married in Maui in July and have been looking for accomodations for my family to stay. We were looking at 5-6 bedroom houses, and then came along an article saying that Maui is banning private vacation rentals (starting Jan 2008). My question is, how safe would it be for me to secure a private home. And how can I find out if the home has a legal permit to rent?

Private Home Vacation Rentals?

Have you checked out www.VRBO.com?

Private Home Vacation Rentals?

I have checked VRBO and have found a few private homes that I like. Just wondering if it is safe to rent these with the new regulations?

check www.homeaway.com

Where did you read the article? Were there sources quoted? We are renting a private home in June from Luxury retreats and have had no problems thus far with our reservation. The property is located in Lahaina.

I rented a house in Florida last year through www.homeaway.com (it was a lot cheaper %26amp; nicer than any hotel we stayed in). We are renting a condo in Maui through www.vrbo.com this May. Both people were listed on both websites. I check out the feedback from other people who have stayed there %26amp; the dates they stayed there. If their feedback is 10 years old, then the house might not be as nice as it was then (I ran into that renting motels, looked real nice but, when I got there it was run down). Lots of people will leave their e-mail address or phone number in their feedback. I try to get in touch with the most recent one, to get their opinion on the rental. Hope this helps.

Another good source for private homes is :

http://www.hawaiibound.com/

I think you have to go by the reviews if any and your gut instinct and talk to the person on the phone. The first time I rented off the internet, I wanted to make sure the home was owned by the person I was renting from so I called the utilities company. I do not understand how Maui can ban an owner from renting their own property or even renting their timeshares (like I am doing in Cabo this year)... Can you send a link to that article?

Yes it is true that they are cracking down on illegally rented homes in Maui but there still are a number of homes that are licensed and totally fine to rent. Oahu has been doing this for a few years already. I would caution you on renting through vrbo or personal sites as you may not be renting a licensed home. ASK questions. I know Villas of Hawaii uses only licensed homes as do a number of other agencies - check that any agency you use is a member of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau and look at TA for opinions, etc. The main areas that have been trouble are upcountry and Paia as well as some in Kihei. If the price seems too good to be true, you may want to double check. Homes are expensive to rent and you may want to look at condos instead.

Try Tropical Villa Vacations if you are not on a budget. They have some BEAUTIFUL homes for rent. They are very professional and can take care of your every need. The website has great photos, details and availability of all the rentals.

I have read numerous articles on this issue on www.mauinews.com; If you search under vacation rentals you will get lots of information on the closing of these rental homes. Thanks for the info in the previous posts!