How to spot a Craigslist apartment scam (at least in San Francisco)

image

Apartment hunting sucks. Because rental prices are insane in San Francisco, finding an apartment here sucks significantly more than usual. The fact that Craigslist is the de-facto way to do it makes it even worse, because Craigslist also sucks (specifically for apartment hunting). So if you’re apartment hunting in San Francisco using Craigslist, make sure to have a bottle of bourbon handy.

To make things worse, people are assholes. Especially people who use the internet to try to scam people. And when you have a hot, competitive rental market, assholes come out of the woodwork to try to trick and cheat people who are just trying to find a place to live.

So, if you’re looking to rent an apartment in San Francisco, here are some quick tips to avoid being scammed. They might seem obvious, but I’ve seen several people here almostfall for this stuff.

If they want you to put down a deposit before seeing the apartment, it’s a scam.

This is the obvious giveaway. They’ll write claiming the tenant is still there or they can’t get in the unit because the tenant is out of town. But because they’re a swell person, they’ll put you first on some list as long as you fill out an application and send a deposit over. If someone can’t show you the apartment, then it isn’t real.

Here’s an example:

About viewing: Please note that the apartment will be available for viewing from March 31st, 2016 because the current occupant is out of the city for relocation this week and will be back on the 30th of March and which is why I said that the earliest viewing date is (March 31st) so you can schedule to come view the unit as from March 31st by 10AM..
Please understand that the rental market in San Francisco is competitive so the apartment is on high demand and if you are really interested in this apartment I will advice you try and secure it now so that you do not loose it to other prospective tenants who are also in contact. Like I said before who secures it first gets the unit. To lock down the unit you will have to deposit only the first month’s rent plus the refundable security deposit after completing all the relevant rental documents. Note that if you choose to reserve the unit now, and if after you have viewed the unit on March 31st and you are not satisfied you can request for a refund which will be given to you that same instant. The terms and conditions of the contract gives you full refund if you do not want the apartment upon viewing.

If they say one person is ahead of you and you should apply quickly, it’s probably a scam.

Most apartments probably fall in two scenarios. Either a huge amount of people are interested, or no one is. If someone writes back saying “1 other possible renter has shown interest”, then most likely it’s a scam.

This will probably be followed by them encouraging you to send over an application or deposit to make a “reservation” (which isn’t a thing):

Lastly, please note that 1 other possible renter have shown interest in this apartment also, and I will be obliged to rent out to anyone that makes reservation now.

If you find a place that seems to be an amazing deal, it’s probably a scam.

If 2-bedroom apartments in the Mission are renting for $4,000+ and you find one for $2,800, don’t get too excited. Any place that looks too good to be true probably is.

If the Craigslist ad has a reply to name of someone’s actual name @ gmail, it might be a scam.

At first I took this as a sign that it was legit. But then realized these assholes now are researching local agents and creating fake gmail addresses under their name to appear trustworthy. This rarely is the case. I’ve gotten emails from:

  • tyroneduane@gmail.com
  • kevinwakelin82@gmail.com
  • stevenfarmer01@gmail.com
  • jremcohomes@aol.com

All fake.

If the lease term is super flexible, it’s probably a scam.

In a competitive rental market, no one is going to offer you flexible leases. They’re going to maximize revenue and lock you down for as little or as long as possible (depending on rental laws). So if you see someone seemingly willing to just do any kind of lease possible, it’s a scam.

Available Discount for different lease Terms:
1. THREE MONTHS PLAN: Pay for three month rental fee plus refundable security deposit and get a discount of 10% on rent.
2. SIX MONTHS PLAN: Pay for six month rental fee plus refundable security deposit and get a discount of 10% on rent.
3. ONE YEAR PLAN: Pay for one year rental fee plus refundable security deposit and get a discount of 15% on rent.

If it has any of these sentences, it’s probably a scam.

Scammers aren’t creative, and tend to recycle the same emails. I’ve gotten these lines word for word on numerous occasions:

  • If this apartment satisfies what you are looking for,do let me know so I can forward to you the tenancy form for review.
  • I will be obliged to rent out to anyone that makes reservation now.
  • Lease term is flexible, month to month, 6 months or 1 year lease term
  • Please keep in mind that our homes are very popular and are leasing extremely fast.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Los Arboles Apartments - 17 Photos - Apartments - 201 4th St, Del Mar, Del Mar, CA - Phone Number

8 201 4th St Del Mar , CA 92014 (858) 481-9585 Been here for 5 months now. These are definitely old apartments; the floorplans aren't modern or laid out super efficiently. But if you want to live within line-of-sight to the ocean, this place is as affordable as it gets. The manager is hands-down one of the nicest dudes I've met and has been extremely accommodating to us. Although the property is old, it's clean and decently kept up. The pool and hot tub are nice. We're on the 2nd floor in a corner unit and it's been very quiet for us. We haven't had any issues with bugs or vermin of any sort; in fact, we keep our porch door wide open all day long so our kitties can get some fresh air. This results in maybe 1 fly per day inside. There are surfer trails very nearby that lead down the cliffs for beach access. Bottom line, if you're looking for luxury, don't live here. It's too old to ever be luxurious. But if you're looking for line-of-sight to t
Read more

Charlotte affordable housing forum raises possible solutions

There’s a big demand for more affordable housing in Charlotte, where rents and home prices have shot up much faster than wages over the past few years. Many of the apartments being built now target more affluent renters, waitlists for housing vouchers are long and starter homes are snapped up almost immediately. So why aren’t developers building more affordable housing ? That was one of the main questions at a candidate education panel hosted by the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association on Friday, where about two dozen candidates for Charlotte City Council turned out to learn some of the basics on a complicated subject. “ Affordable housing is one of the topics you’ll talk about a lot,” Bryan Holladay, who supervises the group’s government affairs outreach , told the candidates. The subject is an alphabet soup of acronyms (like NOAH, or “ Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing ”) and overlapping terms and definitions. Sometimes when people say “ affordable housing ” they mean go
Read more

Parents of Student Murdered by Maintenance Man Sue Apartment Complex

He pleaded guilty to murder late last year, now the case of a maintenance worker who killed a Blinn student is back in court. The parents of 20-year-old Jenna Verhaalen are suing the Bryan apartment complex where she was killed. Verhaalen was strangled at the Autumn Woods Apartments in 2008, by 27-year-old maintenance worker Jeremiah Rosser . The suit claims Autumn Woods ignored complaints made about Rosser. Specifically, a complaint they claim Jenna made to Rosser's boss, when he entered her apartment while she was in the shower. The suit alleges the complex's negligence led to Jenna's death. Attorneys for Autumn woods said management had no reason to believe Rosser was a risk. However, that's not what the complex's corporate office told News Three in 2008. Back then, a spokesperson said Jenna complained to the maintenance supervisor about Jeremiah Rosser , but never filed a complaint with the office. Rosser quit his job at Autumn Woods several day
Read more