Australia is
in the midst of a rental crisis, so it’s not surprising that
scammers are taking advantage of the more vulnerable and, in some cases,
desperate renters looking for somewhere to live.
Rental listing scams advertise a fake rental listing or
advertisement, usually with a real address, for a property that isn’t available
for rent.
These criminals then convince would-be renters to sign a forged
tenancy agreement and hand over money for a bond for a property sight unseen.
It’s common that these scam ads are on free listing sites like
Facebook groups, Facebook forums, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Whirlpool,
etc.
Tips: Renters looking for a new rental property have
been warned to be wary of ads on social media pages and to make sure they see
the place in person before handing over any money.
You can also search the address online to see if
the property listing is legitimate, and you can contact the real estate agency
to verify the information.
Renters should never pay a bond or advanced rent
until they’re certain the property (or room) is legitimate.
And when you make any payments, whether they are
rental or a bond, ensure they go into the real estate agencies' Trust Account,
not to any other bank accounts or even the person's personal account.
RealRenta has all the
tools that a property manager has but for less than ¼ the cost of a
property manager.
You can now manage your Residential, Commercial or
share/student accommodation property
Join now and the cost
is less than a cup of coffee a week to manage your rental property.
RealRenta also has a
free vision, so why not check it out.
Jason Gwerder
Friday, 17 May 2024
