Unfortunately “Rental Scams” are very popular in the Phoenix rental market. There are several scams such as non-existent properties advertised online as well as vacant properties that have been broken into and the scammer has changed the locks. The most common that we see in the Phoenix rental market is where someone takes a rental property advertisement and changes the contact and other information in the ad so that you contact that person rather than the property manager who is really advertising and renting the home out. This scam happens all of the time on craigslist making craigslist one of the worse places to looking for a rental home.
If you are the person looking for the rental, here are the red flags you should look for:
1. Price - if the rental price is well below all other properties in the area and/or well below market than you know right away that the ad is probably fake.
2. The Lister only accepts cash - almost no property management companies except cash.
3. The Lister can't meet to show you the property and/or doesn't have a local office location
4. The Lister asks for money up front before meeting to show you the property and/or before signing a lease
5. There is no application process in place
To protect yourself against these scams be sure to visit the website of the property management company to find the listing there as you can be sure the information will be accurate there.
If you do unfortunately get scammed be sure to contact law enforcement and file a report. You should also contact the owner of the source where the fraudulent advertisement was posted. Additionally, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). More information can be found by clicking on the link below:
And for all of your Phoenix Real Estate& Phoenix Property Management needs be sure to contact RPMWV Phx www.rpmwvphx.com 623-748-7800
