Six Common Rental Scams and Tips for Avoiding Them

“The scammers are too good at their jobs .. I fell victim to a vacation rental scam, where they posted photos of an actual rental but under their fake company. Didn’t know until we showed up in the lobby and the doorman was so confused why we were there. It’s so much worse for our vulnerable
populations!”

If a listing feels too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure to do your due diligence when contacting
landlords and viewing properties.

1. Listings are copied. Many rental scammers will copy a legitimate listing and just change the contact information. Before letting those interested view the home, they request a deposit or first month’s rent. Look out for multiple listings on the same site that look identical.
2. Property is too cheap. Everyone loves a good deal, but if a property is well below market value, there must be something wrong with it. Rental scammers will often list a property at a low price to get prospective renters interested. Then they will pressure the renters to pay a deposit and first months’ rent to secure the property.
3. Person showing you the home is not the owner. In this scenario, an individual claims to be helping someone else rent the property. The property is usually a vacation rental, foreclosed home or has owners that are out of town.
4. Charging extra for a background check. Landlords usually ask for a fee to perform background checks on tenants. This cost ranges from $35-
5. $75 per applicant. If a landlord is asking you to pay more than this, it’s probably a scam.
6. Nigerian rental scam. In this common scam, you may be contacted by someone after posting that you are looking for a place to rent. They will send you home details and say you can go look at the exterior of the home, but no one is available to show you the interior.
7. Lease isn’t available. In this rental scam, the agent will not have an official lease or will not make it available to you. A lease is required when renting any property, even if it’s short term. If there is no signed lease available to you, then you’re probably being scammed.