This property is a mixed bag: a good rental within its four walls, but adversely impacted by location and billing issues.
For background, my wife and I have lived several years in Hawaii, on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, and Molokai. We have rented scores of vacation properties, both inside and outside the United States.
The positives: It’s clean and well-maintained. Internet service is good. Clothes washer and dryer. The kitchen is workable (we cook, so kitchens matter). The property allows pets (we had our two dogs with us during our stay).
The mediums: There are cats that frequent the property. If you bring dogs, you should know this. The cats are friendly; but if you are bringing dogs that react to cats, it’s something you need to know in advance.
Now the negatives:
The property is in the flat-lands near the shoreline. That may sound like a positive (and it certainly can be, because you are close to some good things on a great bay); but it means that you have no view, and the surrounding properties and vegetation limit airflow. Your view is the small yard, there is little-to-no breeze, and the house gets hot. There are window air conditioning units in the bedrooms, which helps with sleeping, but they do nothing for the rest of the house. The way you avoid air conditioning in Hawaii is exposure to the trade-winds; this house is lacking in that regard.
Next is privacy. The owner lives immediately adjacent to the rental, and the rental is in a separate house that contains another basement-level VRBO. If you are looking for privacy, you aren’t going to find it here. Hawaii living typically involves close proximity on small lots, but that isn’t always what someone wants in a vacation rental.
The final negative is the security deposit. We were charged a cumulative of two thousand for a three-night rental. That is more than anything we have encountered anywhere. Two weeks later, we still haven’t received a refund, although the owner says she has approved a full return. I just talked to VRBO.com, and was told that the refund was “initiated” by the owner just yesterday. I don’t know where the issue lies, but the amount and timeline are excessive.
So this is, again, a mixed bag: a nice rental within the confines of its physical structure; but lacking a view, privacy, and airflow; and requiring a large security deposit that is refunded at a snail’s pace. With dogs, it's about as good an option as you can find; no dogs, and you might find better.