Tips On How To Avoid On-Line Rental Scams

The internet is a fantastic tool for finding just about *anything* really and apartment and home rentals are no different. There are a myriad of websites that feature local rental listings as well as Craigslist and online classifieds. However with the evolution of the internet as a tool for finding ?stuff? you need, also come the evolution of internet advertising scamming.? Rental scams are very common.?Scroll down the list on Craigslist and?it?won?t take you long to find one. Just don?t get fooled into signing or agreeing to anything that seems fishy or too good to be true. Chances are, it is! This is why I strongly advise anyone who is looking for an apartment to work with an agent, such as myself, who can be your advocate in the rental market, who will help you find your next place to live all while protecting you from those who?seek to?do you harm.

When surfing for that perfect apartment, keep an eye out for some of these red flags:

1. The landlord is never available, won?t meet with you to discuss the lease, is always?out of town or lives in a foreign country without a local representative?and asks you to mail him/her your rent or deposit. Do not mail your rent deposit. Insist on meeting in person to sign the lease and hand over the deposit.

2. The monthly rental price seems ?too good to be true? or much lower than other?apartments in the same area. Do some research. Website such as Zillow and RentBits, while not completely accurate, can give you a general feel for the value of rentals in your community. Find out the average monthly rent price and match it up. If it is way off, confront the landlord and find out why it is so low. Do not be afraid to question something that on the surface may seem wonderful, but in reality could be a nightmare.

3. The landlord?may ask?you to send them money or a deposit before signing a lease. Never give the landlord a dime before you have a fully executed agreement in hand. If you are asked to pay for your own credit check at time of application (which is common), ask the name of the credit service and write out the check directly payable to the credit check service.

4. The land lord says he or she?does not require a signed lease or written agreement and wants to work on a verbal agreement.?Insist on a lease or if it is an at-will tenancy, an At-Will-Tenancy Agreement!

5. Never give out personal information, like social security, bank account, or credit card numbers.

6. Avoid scams by verifying all rental real estate leads you may be considering. Con artists often use Craigslist or local newspapers to place ads of rental properties. They may cut and paste pictures of nice homes from legitimate rental listings and list them under their name (usually an alias) along with an untraceable phone number.

7. Look out for stories of landlords needing to rent a property in a hurry because they need to move abroad to serve as missionaries. They often make reference to God to gain your trust.

8. Keep an eye out for overly formal responses?if you?ve replied to an ad. Often times scammers will?addresses you as??Dear Sir or Madam?. Such emails often contain poor grammar. Others contain obvious expressions that indicate that they are trying too hard to use proper English.

9.??Work with a licensed real estate professional.?Get your?rental?leads from a reputable Realtor or local rental agency. They have access to many rental real estate leads in your area. By doing this, you can be sure that you are leasing through a legitimate agency.

10. Most importantly, trust your instincts! If anything seems shady, it probably is, so be cautious. Don?t give out any personal information until you are confident you are not responding to a rental scam ad.

Source: http://westernmassapartments.com/useful-tips/tips-on-how-to-avoid-on-line-rental-scams/

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