Frequently Asked Questions

For Starters

  • Is my information public?

    No. Your contact information, housing request, or housing offer details are not publicly shared, whether you are offering or seeking housing.

    We do not disclose your private information to any 3rd parties or government agencies.

    Anonymized aggregated information may be used to learn and share statistics about Maui housing.

  • Who can see my contact details?

    Contact details are kept private until a housing offer is accepted by someone seeking housing. No contact information is shared until both parties agree to pursue a housing match.

    It’s like online dating - for housing.

    When you enter details on your profile, be attentive to what you are willing to share with potential landlords or tenants.

  • What happens once a housing offer is accepted?

    An email is sent to both parties, sharing each other’s name, email, and phone number.

    The housing offer and acceptance are non-binding. Our platform simply connects homeowners and renters. It is up to both parties to coordinate details and formalize a housing agreement.

Landlords - Managing a Housing Offer

  • What length of rental term can I offer?

    6 months, 1 year, or more than 1 year.

    Maui Hale Match is designed to address the dire need for long-term housing on Maui in the aftermath of the August 2023 fires.

  • How many housing profiles can I make?

    You enter a single housing profile, which includes details like number of bedrooms, max family size, whether pets are allowed, and rental amount. Then you can offer it to as many potential matches as you wish. You can modify your housing profile, or enter a new one at any time. Making a new or updated housing profile does not modify any previous housing offers you have made.

  • How many housing offers can I make?

    When you submit a housing profile, you will see a list of all housing requests that match your profile. We encourage you to offer your housing to several people, as we don’t expect every match to work out.

  • What happens when my housing offer is accepted?

    We send an email to both you and the person who made the housing request, sharing your contact information with each other. The offer and acceptance are non-binding, so you must reach out to each other to clarify any details and formalize a housing agreement.

  • What if my housing offer is declined?

    You will receive an email that your housing offer has been declined. We encourage you to offer your home to other families in need of housing.

  • Can I remove my housing offers?

    This feature is not yet implemented, but may be soon. That being said, housing offers and acceptances are non-binding. So if a housing seeker accepts an offer you can no longer honor, you can simply tell them that the housing is no longer available.

    No one can search for your housing profile, so if you stop making housing offers, then you have effectively removed your account.

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Seeking Housing

  • What length of rental terms are available?

    6 months, 1 year, or more than 1 year.

    Maui Hale Match is designed to address the dire need for long-term housing options for displaced Maui residents.

  • Can I search for long-term housing?

    We do not offer the ability for housing seekers to search for long-term rentals yet.

    On Maui, we have many more people seeking housing than offering housing. So there is not much inventory to search.

    In our system, homeowners and property managers enter housing details, then see anonymous profiles of matching housing requests. Matches are based on factors including property location, number of bedrooms, family size, pets policy, and disability access.

  • What happens when I create my housing request?

    You enter details of what type of housing you need, including location preferences, number of bedrooms, family size, number of pets, and whether disability access is required.

    Then you wait. When a landlord makes a housing offer, you receive an email detailing the housing offer and giving you the option to accept or decline.

    You can modify or remove your housing request at any time.

  • What if I accept a housing offer?

    Accepting a housing offer is non-binding. When you accept an offer, you and the landlord will receive an email with each other’s contact information. Then, it is up to you to sort out any details and formalize a housing agreement.

  • What if I decline a housing offer?

    If you decline a housing offer, we will notify the landlord so that they can offer their housing to other families in need.

    If you no longer need housing, you can remove your housing request, and you will no longer show up as a match for any landlords.

  • Are there resources to support the rental process?

    Visit our resources page for helpful information and links.

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Handling Fraud

  • How am I protected against fraud?

    We cannot guarantee that we can keep all fraudulent activity off of the platform. But, we have taken steps to make it difficult for fraudulent landlords to reach you.

    All landlords must submit verification information, including images of their photo IDs. We have team members who review all information, check against public property tax records, follow up with property management companies, and call the landlord directly, if necessary.

    A landlord can make housing offers immediately, but those offers are held in quarantine until they are verified. We aim to verify every landlord promptly.

  • What are signs of fraud?

    These are some red flags to watch out for.

    • Misspelled words and poor grammar

    • A non-808 phone number

    • Landlord being unwilling to talk on the phone

    • Rent seems too good to be true

    • Sketchy looking application form

    • Application asking for a picture of your face while holding a photo id

    Some legitimate offers may have misspellings or non-808 phone numbers, and some people might offer low rent out of the goodness of their hearts. But listen to your instinct and reach out to us if something feels off and we will do our best to dig into it.

  • What should I do if I think I am a victim of fraud?

    Let us know immediately so we can investigate and suspend the fraudulent user’s account and warn anyone else they have contacted.

    If you gave out sensitive information like your social security number or a picture of you holding your photo id, you should sign up for identity theft protection, like LifeLock.

    If you lost money, you should file a police report.

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