Rental scams are sadly like a virus that never goes away. They are always in the background waiting to come back and take advantage of unsuspecting renters once again.

Thankfully, if you’re planning on renting a home this article will provide you with an update on common rental scams and how you can avoid them.

Tip #1 – Never Deal with An Owner That You Haven’t Met in Person

One of the most “classic” rental scams is the out of state owner scam. This typically occurs when someone claiming to be the owner of the rental property says that they are either working out of town on business or for a “charitable” purpose.

If that owner responds to you via email and encourages you to drive by the property and take a look then wants to conduct business with you without actually meeting you in person there is a good chance that they are a scammer and you should stay away from that rental property.

Tip #2 – Don’t Send Money to Anyone Over the Internet Unless You Meet Them First

Another important thing that you never want to do when you’re first renting a property is to never send someone money over the Internet without actually meeting them in person first.

This is important because it’s easy for someone to claim to be the owner of a rental property and request that you send them the money online with a promise to FedEx you the keys.

If you encounter this situation you should immediately run the other way because it’s also a classic scam where the renter ends up getting taken advantage of in the end.

Tip #3 – Don’t Rent Unless There Is A Lease

Last of all, but most important, never rent an apartment or other rental property without signing an actual lease.

The lease protects your rights as a renter because everything is written down in the lease and you can avoid potential headaches later on if you or the landlord were to get into a dispute that went to court.

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To search for rentals in the Central Valley contact RPM Central Valley today by calling us at (209) 572-2222 or click here to connect with us online.