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Dangerous rent. How to rent an apartment without the risk of being deceived

Fraud, meeting with the ex-wife and the “brother of the owner”, claims, threats and material disputes are just a small part of what we have to deal with when renting an apartment.

How to rent an apartment without the risk of being deceived

In the rental market, there are cases of fraud, misunderstanding between renters and owners of properties. The only way to avoid problems is to be armed with knowledge about the difficulties that can be expected when searching and living in a rented apartment.

Fraud with rent

how to rent apartment ukraineProviding false or outdated information about the apartments being rented is one of the ways of deception. The market has a huge number of “real estate agencies”, and some of them are actually engaged in cheating. Most often they work according to the following scheme: for a “moderate” fee, the “agency” provides a list with phones and apartment addresses. In fact, it turns out that most of them either have already been rented for a long time, or they do not for rent at all. Presenting an agency with a claim is pointless: the information (service) is provided, no one will return the money. To distinguish such an organization from a real estate agency is very simple: in the second case, the service price is 50% of the monthly rent and is paid only after the required option is found. Informational agencies charge less for their “services”.

Retake of rented for short term housing for the purpose of deception is the most popular way of fraud with rent.

On the lampposts, bus stops and information boards you can often see ads about daily apartments, and the prices of such proposals are much lower than market prices. In this case, the scheme of fraud is as follows: the fraudster rented an apartment for a short time, after which he makes an announcement. Trustful citizens come to look at housing. Under different pretexts they are being asked to rent a month in advance and a “deposit”, keys are given out. When the next day the victims come to the apartment with possessions, they may well encounter at the entrance with other “renters”. Another option is also possible: after some time after settling in the apartment, the “real” owner of the apartment or a certain “relative” of him who claims to have his rights to the living space.

After the conclusion of the contract

When the apartment is the subject of a property dispute, you can not dream of a quiet life to employers. There are cases when the real brother of the owner or his ex-wife appears on the threshold. In this case, renters are involved in material disputes, and they themselves are to blame for this: when renting it is necessary to check whether the apartment is privatized and whether its owner is the sole owner. Without such a document, any person prescribed in it has the right to forbid her to take it. In the event that the privatized housing has several owners, one must obtain from each of them a written consent for its leasing.

Sudden rise in rent is a frequent way to “earn” on renters.

It happens that after two to three months, the owner suddenly declares without any reason that the rent increases. In this case, he expects that renters will prefer to pay an extra few thousand, than again to suffer with the search for housing and relocation.

Disputes over the timely payment of rent often lead to the severance of the contract of employment.

There are cases when, having received a rent for a month, the owner of the apartment “suddenly” forgot about it. “Memory problems” may be caused by the desire to get rid of the renters (in fact, according to the agreement, they can be evicted if they are delayed monthly payment) or simply by the inadequacy of the owner of the apartment.

Claims of the owner to the state of the apartment most often arise when the tenant is about to leave. According to the terms of the contract, he must do it for a month, and during this time the owner often starts to make claims to the state of housing. He can suddenly forget that the parquet was scratched, the sofa collapsed, and the upholstery on the door was torn off long before the contract was signed. Most often, the purpose of such claims is not to return a pledge to the lessee.

Safe Rental Rules

1. Search for housing only through friends or with the help of professional agents (check our Safe rent deals assistance page).

2. Be sure to carefully check the owner’s passport and documents for the apartment, give money only on receipt.

3. Draw up a rent agreement and an act of acceptance and transfer of the apartment, which must include:

  • Passport data of the lessee and the lessor;
  • Characteristics of the apartment being rented (address, area, condition of wear, furniture, etc.)
  • The cost of a monthly rent and the time during which the owner of property has no right to increase it;
  • The rights of the renter;
  • The right of the owner of property (the number of visits the owner of the apartment, the time and days for which they will pass), the time in which he can announce the eviction of renters.

4. Discuss in advance all the important points: who will repair the plumbing in the event of a breakdown, how will the utility bills and long-distance calls be paid, etc.

Do this even if the owner is your good friend.