Detecting Rental Scams

Last modified on April 20th, 2018
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As a property management company, you provide a sense of credibility to prospective residents who may not feel as comfortable renting from an individual with a single property. However, sometimes people can only learn from experience in these scenarios, and they need to go out and explore their options before they realize that you’re offering them greater security. Educate these residents on how they can detect rental scams, and you may just find that after they’ve done some further hunting, they will be back to sign a lease at one of your properties.

How Residents Can Avoid Rental Scams

There are some simple steps that residents can take when considering a rental property to verify that it is not a scam.

Make Sure That There Is A Rental Application
A landlord that does not want to know anything about a potential resident, and that has no intention of conducting a background check, is either very naïve (unlikely) or trying to pull a scam. Your information must be verified in some way to get you into a property, and a rental application is typical.

Never Send A Wire Transfer
Because wire transfers are irreversible and anonymous, scammers often prefer this method of payment and will request it. Only use a method that is secure, and recognize it’s probably a scam if such a request is made.

Ask The Landlord For ID
Once you have identified the landlord, you can look up local deeds in order to determine if they, in fact, own the property they are claiming to. If the individual says they’re from a property management company, do some searching online to see if there is an association between that company and the property for rent.

Remember that a potential resident will use these tips on you, as well, if you provide them in a handout. Of course, when you’re running a legitimate business, there is nothing to worry about, and you may quickly find that professionalism is appreciated.

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