Avoiding Rental Scams and Dishonest Landlords

• Landlord tells you to ignore the property management company and instead work with them directly 
• Landlord asks for security deposit in cash, or payable to a personal name, rather than a business name 
• Landlord rushes you to pay the deposit or else someone else will get it, or if they ask you to pay security deposit before you sign the lease  
• If you see the property advertised on different sites by different people or different management companies 
• They want you to move in immediately, without seeing the property 
• The price is too good to be true, check Zillow zestimate to compare 
• Listing has typos, poor grammar, or excessive punctuation 
• If the property has a for rent sign and the phone number on the sign isn’t the same as the landlords 
• If the landlord lives out of state and doesn’t have a local management company with whom you can have regular contact 
• If landlord will not provide their office or home address 
• Landlord asks for money up front to help you find or see a property 
• Landlord doesn't have an official Rental Application form for you to complete  
• Landlord does not require that you sign a legally binding lease and give you a fully executed copy 
• Landlord name does not have the same name that appears on public tax records of who owns the home (personal name)  
• Never wire, transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency to pay application fee, deposit, or first month’s rent.  

What criteria do they accept or deny a rental application? 

• They should have specific criteria to tell you 

Will you hold my security deposit in an escrow account until my lease is up? 

• Your deposit should be held in a security deposit escrow account 

Are you the owner or do you represent the owner? 

• If it is not the owner, then it should be a licensed real estate agent (verify on ADRE) 

How quickly will my security deposit be returned after I move out? 

• It should be returned in no more than 14 business days from your move-out date 

How do you assess damage to the home regarding the security deposit refund?  

• You should have a move-in sheet/photos to document any damage prior to your move-in. You should take pictures of the entire home for your sake of documentation 

When/How/Who do I contact for maintenance items? 

• There should be someone to call or a portal to place maintenance requests 24/7 

How many methods of payment are available for my monthly rent? 

• Online payments options should be made available 

When is rent due and what are the late fees? 

• Make sure you know how much to pay, when you’ll get assessed a late fee and how much those late fees will be 

Can I have time to read the lease in full? 

• The most important thing to do is read your lease agreement and know what it says. Ask questions and do not make any verbal agreements 

• Call the police so they can help find the scammer and possibly get your money back. 
• Contact the publisher of the listing so they can remove it from the site. 
• Notify the Federal Trade Commission which is responsible for protecting consumers. 
• File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center which allows people to report crime that happens online. 
• Think about sharing your story to warn others of what happened to you. Don't lose hope! You'll find the perfect property.