Students warned about accommodation scams
With Leaving Cert results due out next week, Athlone-based Senator, Gabrielle McFadden, has issued a stark warning to students to beware of “scams and fraudsters” when seeking accommodation.
Citing students as being “particularly vulnerable,” Senator McFadden said what should be a time of “excitement and joy” when they move to a new town or city can often become one of “disappointment and frustration” for many students.
Among the most common types of accommodation scams include tenants who rent out short-term or holiday lets and then offer them for rent to unsuspecting students, or situations where 'landlords' claim to be living abroad and request a deposit in order to secure the rental property.
“In a number of cases the properties being offered for rent don't exist at all, or are not available for rent, and the main aim in both of the examples I have highlighted is to get as many deposits from people as possible and then disappear” said the Athlone Senator.
In issuing advice to all prospective tenants, Senator McFadden said renters should “always meet the landlord in the accommodation to be rented.” They should also ask for photo ID such as a driver's licence as well as doing some background research to ensure that the property is genuine.
“A deposit should never be paid in cash or via a money transfer service such as Western Union or Moneybookers, and make sure that the keys work before handing over a deposit” the Senator advises.
“However, the best advice is caution. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is” says Senator McFadden “if you get a bad feeling just walk away and do not be pressurised into parting with cash, it's your money so don't hand it over until you have carried out all the relevant checks and are absolutely sure the listing is genuine.”
In cases where difficulties arise, students are advised to contact the Residential Tenancies Board, the tenants' rights organisation, Threshold, or their Student's Union for advice and assistance.