How do I make sure a Craigslist rental is real?

Knowing that scams are out there, be aware of the signs of a fraudulent Craigslist rental.

1. See the property. This is huge.
2. If the monthly rent is too good to be true, it is!
3. Don’t send money upfront.
4. Meet the landlord.
5. Do some research:
6. Never send money.
7. Landlord shows no interest.
8. Follow your gut.

Are there apartment scams on Craigslist?

Craigslist rental scams typically include houses for rent and apartments for rent. But, they aren’t really for rent. The scammers will first search online for vacant houses that are listed for sale.

How do you know if a renter is scamming you?

How Can You Tell If a Rental Property Listing Is a Scam?

• They Don’t Want to Meet You in Person.
• They Want You to Move in Immediately, Without Ever Seeing the Property.
• They Ask for Rent or a Security Deposit Before Signing a Lease.
• The Price is Too Good.
• The Listing Has Typos, Poor Grammar, or Excessive Punctuation.

How do you avoid rental scams on Craigslist?

1 way to avoid rental scams is to simply not rent anything off Craigslist, said Mark Mellyn, public information officer for the Barnstable Police Department. Rent instead from legitimate websites such as Airbnb, he said, or local vacation rental companies and real estate companies.

What percentage of Craigslist rentals are scams?

Rental scams: Be careful out there One recent survey estimates that 25 percent of Craigslist rental listings are actually frauds. Although Craigslist removes suspicious ads ASAP, many rental scams stay posted for up to 20 hours. That’s more than enough time to lure some apartment-seekers to their doom.

How do you avoid rental scams?

Tips to Avoid Being Scammed When Apartment Hunting

1. Dealing in Cash Is a Bad Start.
2. Never Rent Without Taking a Look at the Actual Place.
3. Always Sign a Written Lease.
4. Verify the Owner of the Property.
5. Make Sure Your Lease Identifies the Owner as Well.
6. Subletting Might Not Be a Great Idea.
7. Meet Your Landlord in Person.

How do Craigslist rental scams work?

However, a popular Craigslist rental scam is to post photos and the address of an actual rental property, which the poster doesn’t actually own, then attempt to have prospective renter wire transfer or authorize payment for the lease or deposit, by claiming they can rent it but it isn’t available to show right now.

Is renting from Craigslist safe?

What can you do about Craigslist scams?

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on Craigslist may be part of a scam, please e-mail the details to [email protected]. Be sure to include the URL (or 10-digit post ID number) in your message. Please use the “spam” flag link in the top right corner of a spam posting.

What are rental Scams?

Rental Scams. Rental scams happen when either a property owner or potential tenant misrepresents themselves. Rental scams also misrepresent the terms and availability of a rental property. Fake ads and fake responses to rental ads can hurt both tenants and property owners.

What can you do if you get scammed on Craigslist?

If you’re a victim of a Craigslist scam, you may want to get in touch with your local police department. It can pursue criminal charges and possibly help you recover any money or items that were stolen.