Beware of rental scam in Hamilton, local real estate association advises
The Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) is warning the public about rental scams.
The association has received several reports of members finding property listings posted incorrectly and without permission as being for lease on various websites such as Kijiji.
“We’ve noticed that since the rental market in Hamilton has become more challenging with a lack of rental inventory, these scams have increased in frequency,” said CEO George O’Neill.
“People are renting properties in Hamilton without conducting proper research because there are not enough rentals to serve the need — and some people are even renting properties sightunseen to ensure they have a place to live.”
Anyone who sees or is affected by a rental scam is advised to report the ad to the website itself, working with financial institutions if money has been sent, and reporting incidents to police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
The real estate association and Hamilton police recommend attending the location and meeting the landlord before paying any money. They also advise:
conducting additional research on listed properties, such as a quick search of the property address on Realtor.ca;
being aware of the language used because often the scammer will use religious references and become fast friends with the potential renter; and
remembering that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.