Renting property can be difficult, especially for younger people who might not have as secure jobs and steady incomes. More than 27% of all renters are between the ages of 25 and 34 years old, so it’s important for property managers to make sure each individual tenant is handled with care and professionalism.
Because many of these prospective renters can be naive, there has been a significant increase in online rental scams. ABC News reports that property managers around the country want people to be aware of online rental scams that are gaining popularity.
“You want to make sure when you’re finding a rental that you talk to someone individually,” said Jack Kelly, a property manager in Charleston. “You never want to send money to someone you haven’t met.”
Prospective renters should be aware that if a rental listing seems to good to be true, there’s a solid chance it is. Many scammers will post nice pictures of an apartment online on websites like Craigslist, advertise extremely low prices, and include all utilities in the deal. Sounds great, right? People should be very skeptical over deals like that, though, as they can end up losing money to the criminals in a matter of minutes if they give away valuable information.
“Always see the property first before you send in an application,” Kelly added, stating that scammers will pose as property owners of legitimate rentals, and then cut off all contact once they receive any payment. “Unfortunately a couple of years ago we had a kid come in here ready to pick up his keys and we said we have no idea who you are. He had sent his deposit to somebody, and the poor kid was left in tears.”
Another way to ensure that you’re dealing with a qualified property manager is to make sure they are utilizing rental property management software programs. Quality online property management software will provide a secure line of communication with the property manager and the prospective renter and is a easy and secure way of processing payments, as well. Scammers, for the most part, will not have access to rental property management software so it’ll be much more difficult for them to trick anyone into paying them.
Contact Rentec Direct today to learn more about rental property management software.
