Many people are becoming victims of rental scams as the rental market continues to rise in many big cities. Here are some of the most common rental scams, and you can also learn how to avoid them.
Trulia made a list of the most common rental scams and the first is the fake credit requests. The scam works when the scammer posts a fake apartment listing online and asks for the credit reports of potential users by using the link that they provide. This link redirects the reports to a company that uses a referral program and the scammer can earn $18 per credit report request. In order to avoid this kind of scam, never release your credit report through the link given by the potential landlord and give your credit report to legitimate credit reporting agencies.
Another common scam is when they ask for money before you can even see the apartment. This is the most common type of scam and it involves the landlord convincing the renter to send the deposit before meeting with them or letting them see the apartment.
Many people get trapped in this kind of scam because of the fear of losing the place which they want to rent. That is why to avoid losing money, make sure that you meet with the landlord first and ask if you can see the place before you give out any payment.
Withholding your deposit is another common thing that happens to many renters. Many landlords will seem to behave fine during the time you are renting the place but when the time you need to move out comes, they get hesitant about giving your security deposit back.
The site also provided ways to keep the security deposit in order to make sure that the landlord or the landlady will give it back. Many of them will claim that those damages were not present before you move in, so it is important to take a picture of the whole place before moving in and repair all damages during the stay to make sure you won't be victimized by these kinds of people.
