Housing via Criagslist?

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<p>I'm going to be interning this summer for 10 weeks and found a promising townhouse subletter on Craigslist. But now I'm starting to think it's a scam. Is it?</p>

<p>I contacted the person who posted the ad about whether I can lease it for just the summer and the first response was "so you need 3 months." Most other ads all sounded like scams because they all followed this template (Other responses will use the exact same words but a different link or contact info): </p>

<p>"Hey
Yes Bedroom is still available and reliable roommate needed.
If you are interested please contact @ <a href="http://nashville.bedroomoffers.com"&gt;http://nashville.bedroomoffers.com&lt;/a>
Hope you will find your all question answer on this page.
Thank you for respond."</p>

<p>I also called this person and have her name and address of the house she's subletting, so I'm fairly certain she is at least a real person. I also checked her name and address and they match on WhitePages. She also sent me pictures of the place and also didn't sugarcoat like a typical scammer would; she only described the surrounding area as "its a newer townhouse great area on golf course." She was right: the place is right next to a golf course. She originally wanted 500/month, but seeing as how I'm not there for too long, she wanted 1000/month. I'm only there for 10 weeks, so we agreed 300 for the first 2 weeks and 1000 for each of the subsequent months.</p>

<p>Now for the part I'm suspicious of. </p>

<p>First, she wanted a $500 security deposit to secure my spot and to act as collateral in case of damage. She did say she'll give me some kind of receipt for the deposit and I'll get it back if no damage is done. I guess that's sensible, but people always say to never give any money upfront. She originally wanted me to moneygram it (Big red flag) but also said check is fine.</p>

<p>I plan to move in the last week of June, and the bigger thing is now she said she has a movie deal filming going on from end of june till early July (She said she works as a model) and said </p>

<p>"so if you could send me rent for June and July I'll send you a key to the place but be respectful it's furnished and I have a lot of valuables. I'm trusting you and I'll meet you when I come home."</p>

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<p>Honestly, I am never all that suspicious when it comes to housing since the law is on the side of tenants. I used Craigslist to sublet my room for three years in college, and I used it to find roommates after I graduated. Granted, it wasn’t the same as working with a close friend, but I had decent experiences all around.</p>

<p>Some things to consider… Are you renting from a homeowner or a renter? Either way, charging double for the same room isn’t right and if I were you, I would negotiate that down. If she is a homeowner trying to rent out part of her house on a permanent basis, I can understand charging a slight premium for a short term lease, but not double; if she is a renter, you have a better negotiating position and shouldn’t agree on any premium for a short term lease.</p>

<p>When I subleased my room, I always charged $250 + half a month’s rent. The security deposit is to pay for damages incurred by the renter, and while it may seem like a good bit of money, the lessor (homeowner or primary renter) is taking on greater risk, since that person will be responsible for damages you cause. If, say, you damage hardwood floors so much that they need to be replaced, that could cost thousands, making your security deposit seem pretty small. Typically, however, the security deposit is more than enough to cover damages. The half month’s rent is collateral - in most cases, it isn’t worthwhile to pursue someone who breaks the contract in court, so this adds a little protection. Legally, security deposits must be kept in an escrow account, meaning that money must be in an account dedicated solely to storing security deposits, and your landlord must return it to you within a certain amount of time after you terminate your lease and after repairs are made.</p>

<p>The biggest thing you need to do is get a lease in writing. That lease should detail everything you are responsible for (your share of the cable/internet bill, perhaps) and everything the lessor is responsible for (water/gas/electric, perhaps). The most important part of the lease is the money - how much you will pay up front, how much you will pay for security, and how much you will pay monthly. I wouldn’t be upset about the moneygram request - if your landlord is not running a credit check on you, how will she know your check won’t bounce?</p>

<p>If you have concerns about the legitimacy of the lessor, here are some things you can do:

  1. Call your county registrar and confirm who owns the home. If you are renting from a renter, then try to get in touch with the homeowner to ensure that your arrangement is permitted.
  2. Figure out who to call to get information on taxes - if someone is underwater on their property taxes and the property gets sold by sheriff’s sale, you’ll be out of a home, out of your money and out of luck.
  3. Meet the person before starting your lease.
  4. Have your lease notarized - this gives you assurance that the lease is valid and enforceable.</p>

<p>Alternatively, look for a different place to live. If it doesn’t feel right now, you might as well trust your gut.</p>

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<p>Thanks chrisw. And I am renting from a homeowner, and she was looking for someone on a more permanent basis, which was why she charged me double per month for the summer. </p>

<p>Also, by “in writing” do you mean a document dictating everything regarding the rent? I haven’t gotten that yet but I can ask for one. We’ve also be communicating over text message so I have recorded what we agreed on so far. But I’m not sure if that’s the same thing.</p>

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<p>Whether it’s a scam or not, no one can really tell you, but putting down a holding deposit if you’re asking someone to hold a space for you is pretty typical. You can’t expect her to just trust your good word that you’re actually going to move in, just like you don’t want to trust her good word that it’s not a scam. If you back out at the last minute, she’s stuck scrambling to find someone, so the holding deposit puts some weight behind your word that you’re serious. It’s also pretty typical to ask for a security deposit (usually a month’s rent) to protect against any damages. The holding deposit usually goes towards your security deposit/first month’s rent when you actually do move in, but the security deposit is just extra money up front (in addition to your rent) that comes with renting.</p>

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<p>Housing scams on Craigslist are VERY common. Often, folks will even include photos with a listing…but they are random photos not tied to the supposed listing. Supposed landlords will even “show” an apartment-but they really got access for themselves and then did something like leave a door unlocked or a partner on site so after the legitimate landlord leaves them to look around, they then have you in for a showing. Sounds like a stretch but it happens. Be careful. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.</p>