Tenancy tip – avoid rental scams

When looking for a rental property there are often time pressures that mean you need to find a new home quickly. It can be quite competitive if it’s a really nice option for the price, which adds to the sense of urgency.

Scammers are all too aware of these factors at play and target tenants through online classified advertisements featuring properties that don’t exist or are owned by someone else.

Consumer Protection has heard from real estate agents who have had prospective tenants turn up to home open viewings because of scammers stealing the photos and advertising the property as a rental, when in reality it is for sale.

In 2014, around 30 accommodation scam victims contacted WA ScamNet and between them the total monetary loss was almost $43,000 – an average loss per victim of nearly $1,500.

For more information about rental property scams, including what to watch out for and how to report a rental scam, visit our Tenancy Tips page on WA ScamNet.

You can read more about renting a property on the Department of Commerce tenancy information pages.

If you have lost money in a rental scam, call 1300 30 40 54 and ask for WA ScamNet to discuss your case.