with frequent change of address (this raises suspicion about eviction, for example), and people who want to take the rental application home to “work on it” (this could indicate they are lazy or disorganized, or it could mean they want to spend some time coming up with false information). “If you do find yourself with a tenant who has provided false information on an application,” writes Nicole Schnitzler in her article ‘7 Rental Application Danger Signs’ (Rentulations.com), “remember that this can be grounds for terminating a lease—a fact that offers you some protection in such a case.”
RED FLAGS THAT SCREAM "SCAM"
The unfortunate reality for people in the rental business is that there will always be people who will try to take advantage of you by scamming you and stealing your money. Here are some further red flags to look out for, as they could indicate that you’re getting scammed:
They want to wire you money beforehand.
A tenant sees your ad online and wants to rent your property immediately, and offers to wire you money to pay for the deposit—even more than what you’re asking. But they’ve never seen the house or even met you in person. Red flag alert! Let’s say you’re renting your house for $2,000 a month, and with the deposit, they owe you $4,000. They’re offering to wire you $5,000 and want you to wire $1,000 back to them. This scam works by the unsuspecting landlord wiring the $1,000 in “change” before the $5,000 goes through—but it never goes through and the so-called “interested tenant” has disappeared. The money was never there, and now you’re out a grand.
They use a non-U.S. bank.
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