Student rental accommodation
Students and parents are being warned of potential scams in rental accommodation.
The Union of Students in Ireland and the Gardaí have teamed up to raise awareness of fraudsters who target students ahead of the new college term.
It's in association with the FraudSMART initiative from the Banking and Payments Federation.
Have you ever experienced rental scams when searching for student housing? 🏡 We need your stories to help prevent this from happening in future by getting this information out through the media!Fill out our form here 👉https://t.co/3egoQlQnMo pic.twitter.com/uvfjJj0UKm
— Union Of Students In Ireland (@TheUSI) July 24, 2019
FraudSMART has also set out the following advice to help students avoid falling victim to rental scams:
Be Informed:
- Do your homework – familiarise yourself with the average rent price in your search area. If the rent is unusually low and seems to be good to be true, it usually is.
- Use online maps to confirm that the property being advertised actually exists and is at the stated address.
- Check short term rental sites to ensure the property is not being used by a fraudster for fake “viewings” who will take your deposit money.
Rental Scam Awareness Advice - Caution is advised, if the rent sounds too good to be true.
Gardaí are advising people to be wary of rental scams, particularly at this time of year when students are returning to college.https://t.co/sPCmKCeCpN pic.twitter.com/fDkw4Dwfhl— Garda Info (@gardainfo) July 25, 2019
Be Secure:
- Keep copies of all correspondence between yourself and the advertiser, including bank details and the advertisement itself.
- Use legitimate well-known rental agencies where possible.
- Don’t hand over any money until you have seen the property and are happy with its condition. Once satisfied use a cheque or bank draft to pay the deposit.
Be Alert:
- Don’t make any payments until you have been given the keys and signed the rental contract. Always check that the keys fit in the lock
- Remember, don’t transfer money until you have carried out all the relevant checks and you are absolutely sure the listing is genuine.
- Don’t be embarrassed if you have been scammed. Report it to your local Garda Station and contact your bank.
