SmartRenter provides these resources to help educate and inform the consumer about rental fraud and scams.

Helpful Links

     Know Your Rights as a Tenant in Every State in the US The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has an extremely useful online tenants rights resource for each of the United States. The site features valuable, up-to-date guidelines for renters seeking to understand local and state tenants rights laws and protections. This information may be critical before or during a conflict or dispute with a landlord or property owner. Access the full archive on the HUD website at https://www.hud.gov/topics/rental_assistance/tenantrights.

Beware Red Flags of Apartment Rental Scams During the Pandemic

The AARP has released an extremely resourceful and timely article about how to spot rental scams during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Below-market rents, unusual payment methods, and other common tactics are among the warning signs for rental scams during the pandemic, with an increase in the numbers of seniors being victimized. AARP has noted in increase of calls to their toll-free Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360.

Read the full article for all the details and an excellent list of “Red Flags of Rental Scams” at https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2020/apartment-rental-ads.html.

Looking for an apartment or house to rent? That online listing may be a scam

NBCNews,com has released an extremely resourceful guide to how one can recognize online property listings as potential scams.

Some remarkable statistics, such as “43 percent of those who shopped for an apartment online have encountered a bogus listing” and “5.2 million people have lost money to rental scams in the U.S.” showcase the seriousness and pervasiveness of this problem.

By sharing the stories of renter and landlord victims of these crimes alike, one can get a clearer picture of how they can also protect themselves from being a victim in the future, as well as educate those around them.

Read the full article at https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/looking-apartment-or-house-rent-online-listing-may-be-scam-ncna1116496.

Over 5 million renters have lost money in rental scams

Martketwatch.com has penned a must-read article about the severity and pervasiveness of the growing number of rental scams facing renters searching for property online.

Shocking statistics are shared about how many people are being affected by this trends, but also some very useful strategies regarding how best to avoid rentals scams in the future.

Read the full article at https://www.marketwatch.com/story/over-5-million-renters-have-lost-money-in-rental-scams-2018-07-19.

Is That Rental Listing Real? A BBB Study of Rental Scams Involving Apartments, Houses and Vacation Properties

A must read for anyone looking into renting property, the Better Business Bureau has published this remarkably useful article that introduces readers to:

- the details of rental scams
- how common they are
- who they are targeting
- what cities are seeing the most rental fraud
- who the most common perpetrators of these scams are

The article provides fantastic tip to help avoid rental scams for not just home and apartment rentals, but also vacation rentals as well. Additional resources are listed to educate readers on how to report rental scams.

Read the full article at https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/21033-bbb-investigation-rental-scams.

Scam Alert: Rental Cons Cash in on Stressed Out Movers

The Better Business Bureau has published an extremely useful article about a specific scam targeting renters as the summer moving season approaches.

This scam always features a landlord who is “out of town”, cannot show the property, and creates a false sense of urgency to get renters to advance deposit money to them prior to seeing the property.

There are additional details of the scam and strategies for renters to protect themselves in the article.

Read the full article at https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16908-scam-alert-rental-cons-cash-in-on-stressed-out-movers.