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While the Internet has made finding rentals much easier, it also has become popular with scams. Having some basic knowledge about scammers and their techniques will help you to avoid rental experiences to become a real disaster. To help you avoid these tricksters, Hoozing has created an ultimate list of common rental scams that will tell you how to spot a rental scammer while looking for the perfect place.

1. List of common rental scams

1.1. A person who shows you the home is not the owner

One of the most common schemes involves someone saying they are a manager or the owner of an apartment when they aren’t and taking a deposit. Therefore you should pay attention to the middleman. It happens easily that you look at ads, a post on Facebook, or a website and see a place that looks amazing and the price looks reasonable. You call there and this person tells you that he/she is the one who handles or manages this place for the real owners. Typically the place is real but they don’t really have permission to access it. They insist on collecting rental payment, security deposit, and other payments that can be gathered in the first place, and then they simply run away with your money.

1.2. The property’s information is copied 

Popular scammers will copy photos and details from an actual listing and then change the pricing and contact information. Typically they set the price much lower than the legitimate listing to make their listing seem like the deal of a lifetime. In this scenario, the scammer may be trying to rush you into putting down a deposit by claiming there are many other interested parties. They may also make excuses as to why they’re unable to show you the home, ask you to enter through unlocked doors, offer you to leave doors unlocked, or refuse to let you inside altogether until you’ve put down a deposit.

1.3.  Charging extra for a background check

In Vietnam, landlords don’t ask any fee to perform background checks on tenants. If you are asked to pay, it’s probably a scam. 

2. Tips for avoiding rental scams

2.1. Identify the owner of the property to avoid rental scams 

Prior to going ahead and signing the lease agreement you should ask for the homeownership documents that prove that you’re dealing with a person who has the rights to rent out the place. This will help you to confirm that the deal is legal.

A real homeowner doesn’t have real reasons to avoid showing you the documents, so you should avoid anyone who’s telling you that the documents will be sent to you later. If you see the ownership documents and the name doesn’t match the name of your landlord, there is most likely a problem.

2.2. Having a look at the actual place before renting an apartment  for avoiding rental scams 

The number one priority when renting an apartment is to visit the place you plan to rent. If this requirement is not met, you can skip that landlord. Any landlord who is planning to rent out the place is ready to show it to confirm that it looks like in the pictures he provided on the website. Schedule a open house visit and evaluate the real property conditions.

2.3. Do some research on the internet for avoiding rental scams 

Before renting a place from someone, make sure you do basic research on the internet, google the landlord’s e-mails, names, property address, etc. If there is a real estate company that represents this particular landlord, make sure you google some feedback and reviews regarding how they handle business. Run research on the median rental price in the area you’re trying to rent a place in. This should give you a basic understanding of what kind of price is reasonable for the particular place you’re looking at.

For expats who want to find safe and affordable accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City to settle down Hoozing offers a fast & professional rental process to meet your requirements. Contact Hoozing directly via 0906663265 or the main website to make a request.

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Rent with Hoozing

In need of a fast & professional rental service? Contact our partner Hoozing to find your perfect apartment. Simply call 0906663265 or visit the website to make a request.

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119 Luong Dinh Cua, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City

Call: +84 90 666 3265

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