Reach out to friends
Emily Barnett, a sophomore from Pennsylvania studying psychology, said, “It’s not that hard to find housing once you’ve been at the school [for] a semester and make friends. My tip would be to ask about housing opportunities that your friends might know about. Most of the time you will find something.”
Find openings on the BYUH official Housing webpage
Go to https://offcampushousing.byuh.edu to find BYU-Hawaii approved housing options within the Laie, Kahuku, and Hauula areas. The website says, “Students can search contracted properties, have access to policies and procedures, and utilize off-campus online tools.”
Join the BYUH Off-Campus Housing (Unofficial) Facebook page
Go to Facebook and search “BYUH Off-Campus Housing (Unofficial).” When you’ve been approved to join the group, you will be able to find local listings for housing in the Laie, Hauula, and Kahuku areas.
Commit time to looking at housing options
Mikaela Tauiliili, an accounting graduate from Samoa, said, “Look! Look at a bunch of different houses long before you look to rent, even if they don’t have openings yet. Don’t be shy to ask friends what they’re paying for rent. Be well informed.”
Look for BYUH-approved housing
Nona Khosbayarovna, a senior from Mongolia studying political science, said looking for approved housing “will be much easier to find solutions to problems, and it is also more organized. Always read through your whole contract and housing rules, because you might not get your deposit back.”
Look into potential options immediately
Shelley Ashworth, a BYU graduate from California, said, “As soon as a space becomes available… you must talk to the landlord immediately and go see it as soon as possible. Spaces are often promised to friends by the current renters and the landlord is unaware. If you can, contact the landlord directly, walk through the space, and give your deposit to him/her.
"You can reserve the space even though the current renters have promised the space to their friends. When you give the deposit, you should sign the contract to reserve the space for you. If you don’t communicate directly with the landlord, the current renters will tell the landlord their friend is taking the space and it won’t be available for you.”
Know who your roomates are ahead of time By knowing who you will be living with beforehand, you can eliminate any possibility of unnecessary conflict which would arise.
Mikaela Tauiliili, an accounting graduate from Samoa, said, “Ask current tenants about the relationship with the landlord. Do they respond when repairs/maintenance are needed? Do they make it difficult to get a deposit back? Are house rules/clean checks reasonable? Do they live in the same building?”
Avoid potential scames
Jessica Leon, a freshman communications major from Mexico, said, “I think it’s good that you address the facts about scams. I had three or four people who just wanted to get the money wired before getting a contract. [Ask] for pictures, the exact address, look at the place first, sign the contract, and then pay either the landlord directly or a deposit.”
Writer: Hyram Yarbro