Stayed in Waianae for 5 weeks after spending 2 months in Waikiki because I wanted a change of pace and scenery, and I definitely got that and more..
Pros:
View from room-photos in listing do not do the view justice. Direct beach front view, very relaxing to watch from living room
Sandra and Micah were very responsive whenever I reached out to them with any issues
Security-This is in a run-down part of the island, but the gated entrance (along with an extra door handle security guard I always travel with) did make us feel safe during our stay
Cons:
BUGS- We saw on average 1-2 roaches A DAY. Micah came and laid traps after I saw 3 the first day there, however we were still seeing them in the kitchen and bathroom. We had to buy our own traps and raid to try and keep them away which helped a bit, but on our second to last night we saw and killed 15+ that kept crawling out of the kitchen. It really made it difficult for us to fully enjoy the space. We never kept any food out, did not even leave garbage in the unit, but that did not help. We were so grossed out that we would clean any dishes both before and after using them. We also on a couple of occasions saw a gecko in the unit, a while they allegedly help contain bug problems, we did not want to live with them either.
No AC in bedroom - As stated in other listings, while fans (coated in dirt and dust) were provided, we found the bedroom to be hot as the one air conditioner for the unit is placed in the living room at the far opposite end of the unit.
Lack of cleanliness - For the high cleaning fee associated with booking this rental, we did not anticipate having to buy as many cleaning products (including the roach traps) as we did. Floors, fans, kitchen and bathroom, particularly the shower, were pretty gross.
Location/building/other tenants - We did not have a rental car for 95% of our stay, so from experience I would NOT recommend staying here if you don't have a rental car. There is a bus stop right outside the complex, however there isn't much in terms of great food or shopping in the immediate area accessible by bus. It is at least a 45 min bus ride to major stores/restaurants. Also, despite the listing including a parking spot, there's no guarantee it's actually available for you to use as the owner had their car parked there whenever I did have a rental car..
Sub par laundry facilities - While it is convenient to have laundry in the complex, it was more expensive to do laundry here ($2.75/wash, .25/5min dryer) than any facility I've used in Waikiki, not the cleanest either
Waianae for the most part is quiet and made up of a majority of locals rather than tourists. Unfortunately this includes a variety of “tent cities” set up along the beaches surrounding the complex and clearly visible from our room and the beach. While the apartment complex is gated/guarded, the “Private” beach is not and anyone has access.
In addition, it is an interesting group that lives in the complex. More than once we would be laying out on the beach, only to be interrupted by some of the tenants verbally assaulting each other from across the beach. A lot of alcohol and/or drugs fueled all of these arguments....
Also if you are planning on bringing kids, beware that there is broken glass ALL OVER the beach. I would not bring kids unless they have water shoes. It is not the white sand beach you would expect in Hawaii.
Overall we did enjoy the view from our room and the easy beach access, but the isolation, bugs and dirtiness of the unit left an overall negative impression on us.
If you want a true feel of Hawaii, I would not recommend staying in Waianea.