While Craigslist can be an excellent resource for a variety of goods and services, more and more users are becoming leery of using the site to rent an apartment. The number of housing and apartment related scams have increased dramatically. In one case, a NY woman sublet her apartment to a dozen different people collecting almost $60,000 in deposit money and then disappearing. Another scam involved a man placing an ad for an apartment in a trendy part of the city but at a price well below the areas market value. The scammer then urged anxious renters replying to his ad to place a deposit before someone else did. Of course, the apartment never existed and the scammer made off with thousands of dollars in deposits. Because more people are opting to rent an apartment "site unseen" due to the high cost of travel, it is more important than ever to know who you are dealing with. Although we always recommend using a broker like the Apartment People, here are a few precautions we recommend when renting an apartment via the internet.
- IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, DO NOT RENT AN APARTMENT WITHOUT SEEING IT IN PERSON. If you absolutely are unable to see it yourself, ask a friend to view it on your behalf.
- If you do rent an apartment remotely, always use a credit card. It's almost impossible to get your money back if you have used a wire transfer or cashier's check.
- Know who you are dealing with! There should be a public record linking the owner to the property address. Otherwise, try doing a google search or if it's a company, look them up on the Better Business Bureaus website.
- A common red flag is when a landlord asks for a deposit but not an application or credit report.
But not all the Craigslist horror stories are about fraud. Safety concerns are also on the rise. Many times you are meeting with a complete stranger so it's better to be safe than sorry. Here are some recommendations that craigslist listed:
- Always speak to someone on the phone before agreeing to meet them. A phone conversation is much more telling than an email or text.
- Always let someone know who, where and when you are meeting someone. You should also give them the name and phone number of the person you are meeting.
- Always bring a cell phone to your meeting or to be even more precautious, ask a friend to accompany you.
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