How to Avoid Fake Rental Listings in Houston

Want to find a new apartment or house rental in Houston? It’s challenging enough to track down the perfect place to live without dealing with scammers! Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people out there who use fraudulent rental listings to swindle renters out of money. The good news is that they are easy to skip over if you know how to avoid fake rental listings!

As licensed Realtors®, the team here at Angel Fultz Realty helps renters in Houston sidestep the scams and find honest rental listings. Today, we’ll share some tips with you that can keep you safe from fake rental listings in the city. 

1. Do NOT give money to anyone who cannot meet you or let you inside the rental property.

This is the most important rule! Most rental listing scammers operate by setting up a listing for a property they don’t own online. If you contact them, they may tell you that they’re out of town and can’t let you into the property, then encourage you to drive by and look in the windows. If you like what you see, they’ll ask you to send them the deposit, first month’s rent, etc. to receive the keys.

This is a major red flag! Never, ever give money to anyone for a lease without a contract or without being given a tour by the owner, staff, or a Realtor. You will never see that money again, and you will never get the keys!

2. Run an online search on the landlord or property manager.

If you contacted the owner of the property, check to see if that person’s name is on the county tax records. When you speak with a property manager or real estate agent, Google their name to see if that person shows up on a company’s website. If you can’t find any records of these people, it’s likely you are being scammed!

3. Google the rental’s address.

Scammers often copy legitimate rental listings in Houston and post them on a site they control. If you’re looking at a place for rent and see it listed online for sale, that could be a warning sign of a scam. Search for the address and see if it’s listed on other real estate sites, then see if the person you talked to is listed anywhere. If they aren’t, that’s another red flag! 

4. Insist on a tour.

Ask to meet the person you’re talking to at the property and tour the interior in person. Even a scammer who is bold enough to appear in person won’t have access to the property. Don’t even think about giving them a dime if they can’t unlock the door!

5. Don’t rush the process.

We get it: You want to move into a new place NOW. But impatience is how scammers get away with it! Never let anyone pressure you to pay a deposit or do anything else until you’re sure that the listing is real. You may risk losing a legitimate rental, but you avoid losing money or being a victim of identity theft. All it takes is a little patience and critical thinking.

The rental market in Houston is always competitive. There are more people who want to live in the city than there are apartments. But that doesn’t mean you take unnecessary risks! The best way to protect yourself from potential scammers is to work with a licensed Realtor® like the ones here at Angel Fultz Realty. Thanks to our many years of experience, fake rental listings in Houston stick out like a sore thumb to us! We will never be fooled, and we will always ensure that you find a great rental for a fair price. 

Contact us today to get started!