How not to fall for scammers, renting an apartment – students to take note

Every year more and more students come to the cities to study, who do not always get a place in the hostel. Every year new graduates do not want to return home, but remain in megacities – because there is work here! And every year scammers seek out gullible youth, “spreading” for a decent amount.

Fraud methods

Scammers come up with more and more new ways every year “divorce” conscientious citizens. The most common ones:

• sublease. The apartment is rented daily, and rented to a potential client under the guise of an owner for several months. Moreover, it is possible to rent an apartment in a day to several unlucky clients at once. And the signed contract does not even save, and make a duplicate of keys – no problem;
• sale of non-existent contacts. The client receives information about the most attractive options for a commission, but the apartment or has been rented out for a long time, or didn't give up in principle;
• renting an apartment under false title deeds. In this case, it turns out, that the lease is not valid, and the landlord is gone, you can't get into the apartment.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to attract fraudsters by legal means and it takes a very long time. Therefore, a few tips for a future tenant:

• by signing an agreement with an intermediary, pay attention to point “provision of information services”. It means, that the intermediary is not responsible for the information provided, that is, a scammer;
• renting an apartment directly from the owner, inquire about the owner and the apartment from the neighbors. Tempted by the price, you may be horrified to find out, that before you, tuberculosis patients or owners lived in the apartment – former criminals, theft-related;
• ask the owner for a copy of the passport, punch through the Internet in blacklists data on the phone of the owner, FULL NAME, apartment address.

And remember: safest way renting an apartment – I'll eat from friends. Do not forget to draw up a lease agreement and do not rush to immediately give the money for six months in advance. Happy rental!