Recently, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of rental fraud. Here the client is trying to deceive not only realtors, but also apartment owners who act together. There are many different ways to cheat when renting an apartment. For example, every month rent the apartment to new people and receive commissions, draw up contracts at the same time several tenants, etc.
Now, there are many ways to fraud, but the whole thing is one – to evict the tenants and not return them the funds. At the same time, the broker always gets away with it, because he only consults and brings the client and the owner of the house. But at the same time does not bear any responsibility. We tell you how not to become a victim of fraudsters and not to lose money when renting an apartment.
Access to apartment database
This version of deception is designed for trusting people, but many still fall for such a trick. Most often, one-day companies offer people to pay access to the base of apartments, among which they can find a suitable option. The amount is usually small, up to a thousand hryvnia. In fact, the apartments that are in this database may not exist at all. If you are offered a sheet of paper with phone numbers owners, it is a simple deception.
After the contract is signed with the client and he pays for access to the database, the company simply moves to another office. Such a scheme became extremely popular. So in the case that you are offered a list of available apartments on a piece of paper, you should not contact such a company, because they are simple scammers. To deal with such firms makes no sense, because their main and sole purpose is to extort money, they do not provide any services.
But it is worth noting that there really are companies that provide real access to the real estate database with contacts of real estate owners. Before you pay for such services, it is necessary to make sure that it is not fraudsters, but a solid real estate agency that has a good reputation and trusts.
If the company has been working in this field for more than a year, can provide documents about its legal activities, and the real estate base for rent is ready to transfer to you in electronic form, you can use such services and pay for access.
Fake advertisements
Most intermediaries use this scheme. They publish a lot of ads where they are offered to buy, sell or rent housing. Realtors post them on the Internet, post them on posts, bulletin boards and near the entrances. The terms in the announcement are usually advantageous, and the cost is much lower than the market.
However, it is necessary to be careful, because in reality, there is no apartment, and the mediators are simply gaining a client base. If the customer calls on such an announcement, they will tell him that this option is already unavailable, but you can see others that are no worse.
With the owner of the apartment
When the broker conspires with the landlord, they try to do everything possible to evict the tenants after renting the apartment. Thus, they can rent an apartment every month, and the commissions and rent of fraudsters share.
For example, the owner of an apartment may come uninvited to a house where people have already settled. The landlord will quarrel with them, come at inconvenient times, call, and do everything possible to make the life of the lodgers become unbearable. As a result of such pressure, people are forced to move. And fraudsters are again looking for new victims who can be deceived and get money.
Almost a similar scheme is also carried out if the apartment has two owners. For example, tenants sign a lease with only one owner. And after a while, after people moved into the apartment and paid the intermediary and the owner, a second owner appears. He states that he did not consent to the lease and that he is evicting the tenants. From the point of view of the current legislation, this is completely legal, so you should carefully check all documents.
It should be noted that if a residential property is jointly owned by several persons, the lease contract is invalid without the signature of all owners. In this case, you should not trust the words of the realtor that all documents are in order. This person has no legal responsibility for checking documents.
This pattern can be repeated regularly, almost every week. It all depends on the stress resistance of the tenants and the insolence of the landlord, who is trying in every way to force people to move out. When some lodgers move out, others move in. At the same time, the realtor receives his interest for services, and the owner of the apartment keeps money for rent.
Many lodgers
The next method of deception is extremely arrogant, but very profitable for fraudsters. The broker and his accomplice, who pretends to be the owner of the house, rent an apartment themselves, most often for daily rent. After that, the apartment begins to rent to everyone, to take prepayment and commission percentage. For a week of such activity, fraudsters can take money from a dozen trusting people. But of course, none of the deceived will not be able to enter the apartment, because it does not belong to a realtor or his accomplice.
Even experienced people can be deceived in this way. It all depends on the realtor, who looks presentable, behaves as much as possible decent and cultural. The mediator will say that he has long known the landlord, he is a reliable and honest man, and all the documents are in order. In this case, potential tenants may even show false documents in the hope that people do not understand the legal intricacies.
Due to this method, in a short period of time, fraudsters can sign a lease with a large number of people. The broker takes his commission, the cheated tenants leave a down payment. And in a few days, when the crooks raise enough money, they just disappear. Therefore, you should not rent apartments at a suspicious low cost, as well as believe on the word realtors. After all, their main task is to receive their remuneration, so-called «commission one».
We also draw your attention to our other articles about unscrupulous realtors who deceive gullible customers when buying and selling and renting real estate.
