Rent fraud is, unfortunately, a popular practice in the country. Whether you have recently immigrated to the U.S. or have been living here for a long time, you should be prepared that when you search for apartments online you can be successfully scammed and left without money or housing.

The landlord is outside the country
One of the most popular methods of rental scams.

Scheme of the scam. A scammer has published ads on a bulletin board or in a Facebook group. You respond to his message and learn that the landlord is on a business trip or vacation. The key phrase is temporarily out of the country. So he won’t be able to show you the apartment. To balance these inconveniences the owner offers you nice bonuses:

Low rent.
Send the keys to the apartment by mail. Of course, you won’t know that they are fake.
How to protect yourself. The property owner is the person you will have to do business with: meet, resolve issues, possibly ask for help. Therefore, a live meeting is mandatory. There you should look at the landlord as a person and assess his adequacy.

Do not be fooled by cheap offers. There are no perfect options at a low price. A renovated apartment can’t cost pennies if it’s five minutes from the subway. If the rent is low, it means there are reasons for it. For example, fraud.

Important! If you find that you are a victim of rent fraud, report it to local law enforcement and the FTC. Also, contact the website where the ad was posted.

Landlord is willing to enter into a contract without additional tenant verification
People with a bad credit history or criminal record, newly arrived immigrants are the most vulnerable to this type of scam.

Scheme of Deception. A landlord or property manager asks you to sign a lease via email. He does not require information about your financial reputation. The main goal: to get a one-time payment.

How to protect yourself. Being a landlord in the US is a business. Therefore, a background check on the tenant, his creditworthiness is essential to keep the property safe from potential problems: non-payment of rent, damage to the apartment, etc.

Before depositing any amount for a home, make sure that:

The property is available for rent;
The landlord is connected to the property (has documents that show it is his property);
The contract makes you a legal tenant.
Important: Avoid filling out any rental application, credit checks, or sending money without first meeting in person with the real estate agent or landlord at the apartment you want to rent.

The description of the listing is not entirely clear
Not all landlords know how to form an ad correctly. Therefore, this scheme is often used by swindlers.

Scheme of fraud. Ads for rent looks vague. There are no pictures of the apartment, no details about utilities, repairs, furniture, etc. Such an ad is probably published by a person who has never been in the property.

Also an important element in the description is the exact address of the housing. Often scammers offer ridiculously low prices and ask for a deposit or rental fee before revealing the exact location of the apartment. They understand that if you know the address, you can Google the place, visit in person, or check on other sites.

How to protect yourself. If there is no information and photos are missing, then demand more details in the conversation. Be sure to inspect the apartment and see the owner in person.

Photos of the home have an MLS watermark
One of the creative methods in rental scams.

Scheme of Deception. The photos in the listing show MLS watermarks. Only realtors use such signs when selling real estate. Accordingly, the scammers copy the ad for sale. They change the contact information (e-mail and/or cell phone) in the description and publish the ad in real estate search services or themed groups on Facebook or Telegram.

You can even view the apartment and no one will suspect it’s a scam. Because realtors can confuse you with a potential buyer.

How to protect yourself. Demand the original photos from the owner. The scammer doesn’t have them because he or she isn’t actually connected to the property.

After viewing the apartment, don’t rush to make a transfer of funds. Back to fraud scheme #2. Check the property and its owner.

The owner requires you to sign a contract or pay a deposit before the first inspection of the home
This scheme is popular among people moving to a new city. Through work, they don’t have time to inspect their new home. This makes them an ideal target for scammers.

Scheme of Deception. Scammers put emotional pressure on you: they say that many tenants want to see the place. Fabulously describe the amenities and benefits of renting. Forcing you to sign a contract or transfer the deposit.

How to protect yourself. Make it a strict rule to personally check out a potential landlord.

If you feel uncomfortable talking through emotional pressure – think about whether the real landlord is willing to talk to a potential client that way. Is there probably a scammer on the other side?

Landlord instructs how to transfer money
The scam is popular among millennials, who often use Venmo, PayPal or Google Wallet payment services in their households. Such systems offer no fraud protection, which thieves take advantage of.

Scheme of Deception. The landlord asks you to transfer the deposit or rent through an outside service. Once the scammer receives the money, you have no way to get it back. Transferring money through PayPal, Venmo, or Western Union is essentially the same as transferring cash.

How to protect yourself. It’s safer to pay rent/deposit by check or credit card. You can mail a check, but it’s better to give it to someone in person. If it turns out that you have been scammed, you will have a name to start a lawsuit with.

Pro tips to remember if you’re going to rent a place to live
Don’t send money in advance.
Pay the deposit for the accommodation after you have inspected the apartment and signed the rental agreement. It is advisable to pay the full amount on the first day of the rental.

Remember, if the landlord asks to transfer money through Moneygram or Western Union – it’s a signal that you are a fraud.

Do not share personal information.
You don’t have to send the landlord photos of your passport, SSN, or tax number. Especially if you’ve never looked at the house.

It’s common for scammers to demand personal information. They need them to use in identification scams.

Research the property you plan to rent.
Look online to see if the listing has been posted on other sites. If so, note the contacts: are they the same or different?

Additionally, do a photo search of the property by running a Google image search. This will allow you to see where the image was uploaded, as well as find related content.

If you find that these images have already been used in old listings or in a similar ad, it’s probably a scam.

Check the landlord.
Find out who owns the property. Try to contact him/her directly. Tenants who are looking for an apartment in New York City can check the landlord on the Who Owns What website.

Talk to current tenants.
This will help you confirm the information provided by the landlord. They can also provide additional information about the lease. For example, letting you know if there are any problems, such as a broken unit and more.

Beware of fake social media pages or real estate company profiles.
Do an online account check if you are contacted through a personal page or company profile.

Company Profile. Be sure to find out if the page is official. Also look at the date it was created, how many posts, followers and reactions it has, etc.
Personal page. Look through lists of friends, check if they are marked in posts and photos. At the same time, look online for their name and location.
Also, this check is necessary when you communicate with a landlord or someone claiming to be a realtor/representative of a rental property firm through an ad you found on social media or bulletin boards.

Do home viewings.
If you don’t have the opportunity to visit the property in person or if you are moving to a new city, we still recommend asking a friend, relative or colleague to visit the apartment. In addition, more and more landlords are offering virtual tours, which is a good solution.

Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive guide to help you avoid rental scams. But researching the property and the landlord thoroughly and following these tips greatly reduces the likelihood of being scammed.