House rental scams are on the rise and have been an issue for a while now. Rental scams have been happening for years and are still happening today. However, there are some newer scams that may not be as common but should be looked out for nonetheless.
Here is a list of Craigslist rental scams to avoid:
Craigslist Scam #1: Ineligible Lease
If you get a lease that doesn’t make sense, it’s probably a scam. The only thing they want is your money and they will do anything to get it. A lease that doesn’t make sense could be something like wanting you to rent a $500,000 house but forcing you to pay $500 per month or more (and asking you to make all the repairs).
They want your money so badly that they will try anything to get it including trying to scam you with ineligibility. If the house looks too good to be true, it probably is. If it seems too good to be true, there is probably something wrong with it.
Craigslist Scam #2: Overpaying For The House
The person selling the house usually doesn’t want your money but wants their own money back from you. So they try to overpay you to make sure you won’t report them to the credit agencies. They will overpay you up front and then when they want their money back, they will take it out of your rent or security deposit.
Craigslist Scam #3: Not Living In The House
The person selling the house does not live in the house and may not even be renting it out. The person selling the house is probably just using it as a place to store their…
