When is she wanting to start her lease? She is wasting her time if she is not ready to sign a lease within two weeks, because everything available now will get rented in that timeframe. Unless she's willing to start her lease immediately to hold a place.
Tenants always seem to forget that when you can move in does matter to landlords, and typically the sooner the better.
If she's moving in a couple of months, what she should be doing is getting together a dynamite renter profile, including financial info, credit report, background check and past landlord references. In dealing with tenants here, it's amazing how many stall on filling out an application. Or show negative bank balances. If she shows up prepared and motivated, and also has cash in hand for deposit and rent, she should have no trouble finding a place.
She might consider renting in central Maui (Kahului/Wailuku), where the rents are cheaper, then commuting to work in Lahaina. She will pay top dollar to live in Lahaina that has very little workforce housing.
Best places to look are The Maui News and Craigslist. August is the slowest month for rentals.
Regarding scams, always check the real property tax records at mauipropertytax.com and make sure the owner matches up. Good luck!
