Searching for a rental property can be a daunting task, and rampant rental scams only serve to make the hunt for a new place to live more difficult. Rental scams occur when someone misrepresents a property or the terms of a lease in order to squeeze money out of unsuspecting renters.
Often, scammers achieve this by taking a legitimate rental property listing, copying the information and simply changing the contact information to their own. When hopeful renters come across the listing and reach out about the property, the scammers use that opportunity to trick them into handing over money for application fees, first month’s rent or a deposit.
In addition to copying legitimate listings, some scammers create listings for rentals that either aren’t currently for rent or don’t actually exist. During the fake leasing process, they will often utilize excuses to explain why the potential renter will be unable to tour the property prior to paying for it or signing a lease.
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Brittney Meredith-Miller
Brittney Meredith-Miller is assistant editor of PropertyCasualty360.com. She can be reached at [email protected].
