Belvoir Sheffield warns tenants against rental fraudsters

As the rentals market becomes increasingly buoyant, tenants throughout the UK are falling victim to a new breed of fraudster. Now Rick Flay, director at Belvoir Sheffield the leading letting agent in Sheffield is offering stark warning to tenants looking for the ‘cheaper option’.

Recent figures released by the Property Ombudsman indicate that they have so far this year received 5,000 complaints from tenants affected by rental scams, often involving online adverts where the landlord communicates via email as he is abroad.

In an interview recently conducted by the Independent, one tenant, Madeleine Cox saw first-hand one of these scams in action, speaking to the newspaper, she said: “I saw an ad on Gumtree for a three-bed flat in Clapham [south London] at £920 a month.

“After a brief exchange of emails, the transaction went sour. The landlord asked Cox to send £300 for his air tickets back to London, so he could show her the apartment in person. He was aggressive, saying he'd had a wasted journey the previous month to show around a prospective tenant who hadn't turned up.”

Rick Flay, Director at Belvoir Sheffield, who offer a wide range of property to rent in Sheffield, said: “It is no secret that in the UK there are over three million rented households, and competition for good rental properties is extremely high. These fraudsters know that if they lower their prices, tenants desperate for the perfect property will pay a fee up front to ensure it has been reserved.

“It is essential that tenants only use a reputable lettings agent such as Belvoir in order to protect themselves from such scams. In order to protect yourself as a tenant ensure that you are wary of low rents, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

“In addition to this, avoid handing over any money to an overseas landlord, and ensure that you know exactly who the landlord is. In these sorts of scams, the ‘real’ landlord could be getting someone to pretend on his behalf. If he is a reputable landlord he will have a lettings agent in place, so ensure that you carry out background checks before handing any money over.

“Finally, double check your contract. If you are happy, make sure that you ask for an inventory so that you can check the report and ensure that everything is as it should be. If items inside the property are reported as damaged, you could end up footing the bill.”

Belvoir Lettings Sheffield is the One Stop Specialists for Lettings including Property Management, Tenant Find, Investment and Wealth Management Advice, Fit-outs and Renovations, Furniture Packs and Investment Property Insurances and Mortgages.

For more information on ‘Fair wear and tear’, please visit: belvoirlettings.com/sheffield