Avoiding rental scammer's is a topic that more people need to be educated on, because you very well could be a victim and lose a good amount of money. Reading this article will save you the hardships of not only losing money, but prevent you from falling in love with a property, only to realize you have been scammed. How do you avoid being scammed? I will discuss the top tricks to avoid becoming a possible victim.
Too Cheap
Scammers will typically try to sell a property for what appears to be a great deal financially wise. The cheaper the property, the more victims the scammer has. The scammer will typically request that they need a large amount of money for your background check along with having to pay the deposit and first months rent as soon as possible. NEVER wire money to a landlord that is requesting you do so.
Tour the property
Make sure you check-out the property before renting. Notice your surroundings in the property and see if there are signs with a different companies name on the rental home, or business cards in the home. If you realize that a different companies name is on the sign or cards, call the company on it as soon as possible. This could prevent you easily from being scammed!
Talk to the Landlord
Majority of potential scammers will not have a conversation with you on the phone or meet with you in real life. They could make excuses as well as to why they cannot talk with you. Always make sure to have a conversation with your landlord to avoid a possible scam and ask some questions during it. If the landlord cannot answer many of your questions over the phone, be careful.
Very eager on Renting
If the landlord is adamant about getting the money as fast as possible, be cautious. Many scammers love to quickly get the money so they can run. Make sure to ask lots of questions if you are feeling uneasy because this could potentially scare away the scam artist.
No Lease
Never give deposit or first months rent to a landlord if there is no lease agreement. It is legally required for anyone renting a property to have. If the landlord makes up an excuses as to why there is no lease, you are most likely being scammed. Also, if you are given a lease, make sure to read it very closely to see if any wording does not make sense or is not included.
A Copied Listing
If you notice their are two of the same listings online, then the one that is cheaper and unverified is most likely a scam. Always look to see if they are verified and if they are unverified then precede with caution.
Overall, some landlords may fit one of these avoidances, but it does not mean they are automatically a scammer. I advise that the most important thing of all is to be extra cautious and make sure to always use your gut feeling. If you are having doubts, the best thing to do is find a landlord that makes you feel as though you can trust him/her.
