LPT Request: How to spot rental scams

Submitted by Dauoa_Static t3_yh1qxq in LifeProTips

I'm currently trying to find a house to rent, and am concerned that a reply I received may be a scam. The homeowner called me an hour after submitting my application to ask some questions and get a bit of info. A couple things stood out to me:

1.) He said he's too busy to meet me himself, but his realtor could meet me and show me the property.

2.) The property is listed for several hundred dollars less than similar properties and the estimate that the website Zillow has it at.

I've encountered several scams in the past that were pretty obvious, such as not being able to see the property before signing or similar things. If I do indeed meet this realtor friend and want to sign a lease with them, how can I protect myself?

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Comments

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sysadminbj t1_iublv4l wrote

Ask to see the realtor’s license and have a lawyer review the lease if you have the means.

If they won’t let you see inside the property then bail.

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Haunting-Ad-9790 t1_iubof1e wrote

In my experience, if you're having major misgivings about something, walk away. More often than not, you'll be better off.

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CasualObservationist t1_iubnpwe wrote

Look up property records and find out who legal owner is. Ask for contract showing real estate agent is authorized to be doing business. Ask to meet owner before handing over any money or signing a lease. Check owners ID

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30kplus t1_iubvxrk wrote

all you have to do is ask to make an appt to see the place. if they do anything other than give you a time/date/address to meet you at then it’s scam.

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notfrancisard t1_iubm9kc wrote

What are you concerned about specifically?

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Dauoa_Static OP t1_iubmn0k wrote

Somehow Blbeing scammed out of money, being tricked into unfavorable terms, or any other thing that can happen in this scenario. I've never rented from individuals before, only bigger corporations, so I want to make sure I do things right to protect myself.

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notfrancisard t1_iubn189 wrote

Sounds like you’re paranoid. If anything, the person you are renting from should be scared that you won’t fulfill your obligations.

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FlyJunior172 t1_iubnof0 wrote

I’ve had several landlords fail to fulfill their obligations. Problem is that the way most landlords fail to meet their obligations doesn’t show until after you move in.

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notfrancisard t1_iubnsy6 wrote

Examples???

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FlyJunior172 t1_iubooug wrote

Failure to properly address maintenance requests in a timely manner. In my current apartment:

  • I’ve had one plumbing leak cause my ceiling to come down, that took more than a month to get addressed.
  • I’ve had another leak in the bathtub that spilled enough water on the floor to saturate beach towels for 72+ hours, that took a week and a half to address (all the while my apartment was technically uninhabitable).
  • I can see daylight through the corner of my front door, the hole the daylight is coming through is big enough I have lizards coming in. That’s been an open and continuously reported issue since April.
  • Leaky window reported in late August/early September, still hasn’t been looked at, let alone repaired.
  • garbage disposal had no gasket in the drain from the sink (i.e. you could clearly see the blades), reported in April, not fixed until July
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Holiday-Can-997 t1_iuk8gya wrote

Check your state on laws regarding withholding of your rent payments. The state I live in, you are advised to put your rent payments in escrow. The owner has to take you to court to get you out. The judge saw I had the back rent available and intended to pay when the issues were resolved. I showed all my emails and pictures of damages to the judge. He chastised the owner for failure to maintain the property and gave him 14 days to complete all repairs. I did not have a lawyer, didn’t need one.

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notfrancisard t1_iuboyiq wrote

And you haven’t pursued legal action because?

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FlyJunior172 t1_iubpdrp wrote

Don’t have the resources to do so, but threatening legal action was enough to get things moving on some of these issues.

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TribblePimp t1_iucjzi6 wrote

Nope, this isn’t paranoid. Scammer pressurises the renter to pay by bank transfer in advance, then disappears with the money.

Colleges routinely warn new students about these scams, as it’s very easy to fall. Often the “estate agent” who shows the renter around is hired help, and has no idea they’re part of a scam. The scammer online is the one who pressures for payment.

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notfrancisard t1_iueh3y3 wrote

Thanks for elaborating. I was unaware of a way that they could run off with your money. Though, I will say that a bank transfer isn’t exactly the most inconspicuous way to steal.

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TribblePimp t1_iuh1bej wrote

And then the money gets transferred rapidly through several accounts, increasingly including mule accounts (“Hi! We’ll slip you £20 if you just let us rest our £800 in your account overnight, then pay it to us in cash”).

So that bank transfer joins the vast ocean of financial fraud which banks and police don’t have any tools to trace or prevent.

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notfrancisard t1_iuh8ak5 wrote

Dang. I actually heard of people that have been approached for that, but they didn’t go for it cause they didn’t see why someone would give them 100 to receive and withdraw 1k... stay safe out there y’all.

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