PHOENIX – As the Arizona housing market continues to price many out of purchasing a home, Arizona consumers are looking for rental properties. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is warning consumers to be alert against property rental scams. Scam artists are deceiving unsuspecting consumers by providing fake listings or copying legitimate listings and tricking consumers into paying before seeing the property. The scam artists might also try to obtain personal and banking information to steal identities.
“Housing is a basic human need and, unfortunately, some fraudsters prey upon that need to take advantage of hardworking Arizonans simply trying to find a place to live,” says Attorney General Mayes. “I urge you to be cautious about who you provide your financial and other personally identifying information to when looking for a home.”
AG Mayes offers the following tips to consumers seeking to rent homes and apartments:
- Be skeptical of rental prices “well below” market price for similar properties.
- Look up the property address on a search engine to verify that the property is not “for sale” elsewhere.
- Physically drive by the property to verify that it actually exists.
- Avoid companies or individuals listing rental properties who are not reachable by phone during normal business hours; who tell you that they are out of state or out of the country; or who request communication via text only.
- Avoid companies or individuals requesting payments be sent overseas or by wired funds, gift cards or through peer-to-peer payment apps.
- Be skeptical of companies or individuals charging “up front” fees in addition to the normal application and credit check fees.
- Always be wary of companies or individuals requesting personal information such as your social security number and bank account information up front.
Once you have viewed the rental property, here are some additional tips:
- Walk through the property and make sure it fits the description of what is being advertised and that it matches the lease or rental agreement description.
- Make sure all fees and costs are included in your lease or rental agreement.
- Make sure you understand the terms of your lease or rental agreement.
- Don’t sign a lease or rental agreement that has blank spaces.
- Don’t pay the security deposit until you have a signed lease.
- Make sure you get a copy of the signed lease or rental agreement.
If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website. If you need a complaint form sent to you, you can contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.