Guernsey Police are reporting another rentals scam where a bogus landlord has been advertising properties to let which they neither own, nor are agents for. The properties are offered at deliberately low rental prices to tempt tenants into paying a deposit to secure them.
If you are looking to rent, then using a reputable agent like Cooper Brouard is the best way to ensure that your deposit is secure and that you will be signing a genuine lease designed to protect both your rights and your Landlord’s. You can also be confident that the properties offered meet the required safety standards.
Given the current lockdown, no-one should be showing properties at the moment at all, but when we move to a phase when it is possible then if you respond to private ads please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Never hand over any money before viewing a property in person
- Visit the property with the landlord and take somebody with you
- Research the property and if it’s advertised on other Estate Agents’ websites for more money, make further enquiries
- Ask the landlord to verify their ID and to view safety certificates for the property for gas appliances etc.
- Ask lots of questions, an honest landlord will know the answers
- Ask the landlord to show proof of ownership
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
If anyone has lost money as a result of this scam, please contact Guernsey Police on 725111 and ask for the Economic Crime Division.
To register for a rental property through Cooper Brouard click here. We are able to conduct video viewings of some rental properties and have agreed lets this way recently.