Are you planning your Maui vacation but a bit unsure about how the vacation rental booking process works? We’ve come up with the following tips to help you safely book your maui vacation rental on-line as you explore your accommodation options for your dream vacation on Maui.

  1. In Maui, it is required for owners to have a Hawaii Tax ID on all listing sites as well as in their condo. Ensure that the owner’s listing has this license number. It will look like GE-056-906-5472-01 or TA-056-906-5472-01.
  2. Ask for the owner’s phone number. Does it match the one on the listing? Make sure to speak to the person on the phone and ask them about the property. You can compare the description with online photos.
  3. Ask for the owner’s LinkedIn profile. It’s hard to fake 100 business contacts. If they are not on LinkedIn, try Facebook or Twitter.
  4. Never pay via wire transfer to an off-shore account. Many owners will accept credit cards and checks. Some will do a wire transfer, but if so, make sure you get the SWIFT Code and Routing Number, Account Number, Name on the Account and of course the Bank’s name. You can then have your bank verify the account and make sure the names match.
  5. Use the BOOK NOW button on the listing you want to book on MauiOwnerCondos.com  It is the safest way to be sure you are dealing with the actual owner. The forms are widgets and much harder to alter than a displayed email address or phone number.
  6. Verify ownership with Maui County’s Tax Assessor. We already do this for every listing here on MauiOwnerCondos.com – it is a part of our vetting process. Want to do it yourself: Go to the Maui Tax Assessor’s website  and type the owner’s last name. You will see the name match the property address. Not all names match as people hold title in different ways (i.e. trust, use of maiden name or nickname). However, if you are making a payment via check, in most cases your check should be mailed to the address on this tax website.
  7. Scammers do not go through the trouble of getting a unique website or Facebook page for their vacation rentals. If you see that a vacation rental has a website, Facebook page and phone number chances are that you’re working with the owner. 
  8. Make sure you are given the name and contact information of the on-island contact. All vacation rentals in Hawaii require an on-island contact. If the owner lives on Oahu, but their rental is on Maui, they need an on-island contact.
  9. Check for reviews for the condo. If the website / listing doesn’t have any ask the owner.
  10.  The best rule of thumb, if the deal seems too good to be true, it very well may be a fake.

We hope these tips help as you prepare to make an amazing vacation decision – booking a vacation rental on Maui!

You can learn more about this Boutique Listing Website from our About Us Page, or watch our quick video below too!

Be sure to check out the condos we have available – they will not disappoint!