YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community

YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community (https://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/index.php)

- Off Topic Discussions (https://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/off-topic-discussions/)

- - House Rental scam? (https://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/off-topic-discussions/133227-house-rental-scam.html)

House Rental scam?

My husband and I are moving to Denver, CO in August and I'm currently on a home search. I came across this ad and am pretty interested.

Denver single family house For Rent - 3 bedrooms in Cherry Creek

Here is the email I sent to the guy:

Message from Leanna Lofte in reply to '1085 S Garfield Street, 3 beds, 3.0 baths, 2 sqft.'
Email: ------------
Phone: ------------

Comments: Hi there. My husband and I aren't planning to move until the weekend of August 22, but I am very interested in this house. We will both be attending DU as graduate students in mathematics this fall. I have a few questions.

The site says the house is 2 sq feet... I know that must be a typo ;)

It also says it is furnished. Is this correct? What furniture is included and would you be able to send pictures of each room?

Would you be willing to wait until August?

We have 2 dogs. A 3 pound Yorkshire terrier and a 20 pound miniature schnauzer. They are both potty trained and well behaved.

Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact by email.

Here is the response I got:

Hello,
Thanks for the interest in my house., The house is still available. Actually, i am currently in Africa with my wife for some contract with Exxon Mobil Corporation as a project consultant and has since been posted to their West Africa regional office. I had wanted to sell the house but my wife talked me out of it and so we are now renting it out. I am currently on a 2-year contract, hence, the lease will be available for as long as this period or even more because negotiations are already going on between my contractors and I for a possible contract extention. I will advice that you go and take a look at the house and its surrounding, but for now you cannot see the interior until the keys are sent to you because we have the keys here with us. If you are still interested in the house email me back and I will send you the rental form to fill.

Please e-mail me the following information to help speed up the process:
Income per year:
Credit Score:

My regards.
C. Busby.
Phone: 011-234-708-447-0826.

With all the scams I've read on here about yorkies, I'm now concerned this may also be a scam. Has anyone heard of these kinds of scams? The add looks very legit and detailed. I am kinda annoyed that he didn't answer any of my questions. I could picture sending the deposit with the "agreement" of getting the keys after the deposit is received... and never getting the keys. I currently live in CA so I cant just go look at the house and neighborhood. We will be flying to Denver for a couple days in July to do our final home shopping and hopefully sign a lease. I am going to write him back and ask if there is anyone he trusts in Denver that he could send the keys to so I could see the house then. I will not agree to rent this house without first seeing it and knowing that there is indeed keys to it.

What do you guys think?

Sounds like it...
I would contact a Realtor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisy mae06 (Post 2038020)

Sounds like it...
I would contact a Realtor.

Realtors help with renting? How much do they charge?... money is tight right now.

it is a scam. I saw this scam a couple of times before on rental houses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epsilon (Post 2038022)

Realtors help with renting? How much do they charge?... money is tight right now.

Usually on rentals they add the fee to the monthly rental...say 10 percent. If I needed 500.00 a month for my "nut" from this house and I listed it with a agent, and they got 10 percent, they would be renting the house for a total of 550.00. I would get 500. and the agent would get 50. Make sense?

Well atleast their not in Africa on a church event! LOL.

I assume you can't see the inside until you get the keys, you won't get the keys until you pay first/last month rent, or some sort of deposit, then you never get the keys.

I can't believe how people are scamming with everything now, this is really sick.

With the housing market what it is today many people have tried to sell their homes without much luck so now they are trying to rent. It is difficult to figure out if this is a scam or not but it almost looks to good to be true.

Hmmm...it doesn't appear to me that English is their first language - as they wrote things like "I will advice you" rather than "I will advise you" - which would be a common language mistake (vs. just a simple spelling mistake). If you're really interested in the house and still think it may be legitimate, I'd tell them that you'd like to pursue - but would like a more formal process since they're so far away - so, could they use a realtor, friend, or neighbor who could have a copy of the keys and etc etc....and see what they say from there...

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyacresmom (Post 2038153)

Yes, it makes sense. So, I wouldn't have to pay anything to the agent, right? Only the landlord?

Sounds fishy to me but it may very well be legitimate. Please keep your guard up...I'd hate for you or anyone else get scammed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by livingdustmops (Post 2038172)

That's how I felt about it when I first saw it... "too good to be true". Sigh. I hate shopping for somewhere to live when I live halfway across the country. I keep finding "perfect" places that end up not being perfect cause their too far from school, or don't allow dogs, or turn out to be scam...

Let the search continue!

I think it would be Wise to atleast contact a Realitor better to be safe thatn out your hard earned money. Also maybe someone here can check it out for you if they live close by?

Sounds like a scam to me.

definitely sounds like a scam...I live like 5-10 min away from that location.

Ok check this out. Here's a "vacation home" ad my mom just found

~~Denver's Premier Vacation or Corporate Rental Sleeps 12~~ - denver vacation - backpage.com

It's the same house. This seems like the legit ad. There is also a broker on this ad... who would obviously have keys to the place. Here is the email I just sent him:

Thank you for the quick response! However, you did not answer any of my questions.

What is the square footage of the house? What furniture is included and could you send me photos of each room? Am I allowed to have dogs? If so, what is the pet limit?

I am a bit concerned about you being out of the country. You said I would be unable to see the house until you sent me the keys? I am not comfortable renting a house without seeing it first. Is there anyone you trust that lives in Denver whom you could send the keys to so that they could show me the house? Also, how long has the house been a rental and how many tenants have you had? Were the previous residents smokers? Are you planning to secure a property management firm to care for the needs of the house; I feel it is important to have a local contact person should something arise. Also, with you being out of the country, what would be the method of payment?

If we are to rent from you, we would initially take out a 1 year lease and see what happens from there. We will be in grad school for about 5 years, so we may choose to stay in the house longer. I will send you my income info and credit score once I decide if I want to further pursue this rental.

Thank you,
Leanna Lofte