All rental websites are susceptible to scam posts – here are a few simple steps to figure out if a rental listing is a scam and to avoid them:
Trust your gut – if a property is far under-priced or seems “too good to be true” it probably is! There are far too many scams on the internet today, so be careful when dealing with any online property search website.
- Search the Internet for the address and see if it shows up on other rental sites. However, if it doesn’t, it’s likely isn’t real.
- Contact the phone number or e-mail address on a listing and ask for more information about the property. Ask for more photos, or ask for an appointment to see the property. Details and viewings can help reassure you that the listing is valid.
- Never send money without seeing a property in person first. Talk to the landlord, agent, or management company on the phone or in person.
- Don’t send any personal information like social security number, bank info, or passwords without being sure the listing is valid.
- If you’re sending money via the Internet, make sure to use a trusted source like PayPal.
- If you are signing a rental contract to hold a property, make sure you’ve seen the property in person or have a visual in-person inspection of the property a condition of the contract.
- Ask an agent for help! Real estate agents can help you determine if a listing is valid. Agents can act as a middle-man, making sure you don’t end up in a scam.
If you think a rental listing is a scam, contact the website and inform them, sending as many details as possible, like a link to the listing, the contact information for the listing, and any e-mail communications with a “landlord.”
Good luck on your rental hunt!