Renters have been warned of fake property listing scams using forged Government documents to appear legitimate.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage said it has become aware of a number of false rental property listings.
It said potential renters have reported being given an application by an individual before being asked to complete a ‘Rental Application’ form or a Residential Tenancy Agreement with what purports to contain a Departmental letterhead and logo and a fake gov.ie email address.
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The renter is requested to complete this Rental Application or Residential Tenancy Agreement and provide personal information for registration.
Fraudsters then request the completed documents, a deposit, and the first month’s rent to ‘hold the unit’.
In a statement, the Department said: “The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage wishes to point out that it does not require or engage with registrations for private rental properties and therefore does not ask members of the public to provide personal information as requested in these advertisements.
“This ‘Rental Application’ form/Residential Tenancy Agreement purporting to be issued with a Department/Gov.ie logo and a gov.ie email address is fraudulent and we strongly advise prospective renters that it should not be completed.
“If an individual responds to a private rental advertisement and receives forms purporting to be from the Department of Housing in return, they should not engage further with the vendor.”
Anyone who believes they have mistakenly provided personal information or paid a deposit in response to these types of fraudulent advertisements and false rental applications or tenancy agreements calls should immediately alert gardai.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has also issued advice on its website on how to spot a scam.
Renters should watch out for the following red flags when looking for accommodation.
- The rent is too good to be true and is unusually low for the area or time of year.
- The landlord is out of the country and is unable to meet you.
- They ask you to make a payment using a non-bank transfer like a wire transfer. You should always pay in a way that will make your money traceable such as cheque or bank draft.
- The listing and information is full of grammar mistakes and inconsistencies.
- Ask for an exact address and use Google Maps to verify that it exists and is as advertised.
- When booking your holiday accommodation make sure to pay through the agent’s secure website.
- Get the landlord to meet you at the accommodation and take a full tour. Make sure there is a tenant agreement in place and that the keys they give you work in the locks.
- If you are booking a holiday home and are not comfortable with dealing with an owner directly use a well-known booking agent or website. The deal might not be as good but it will be worth it for the added peace of mind.
- Renting a property involves large sums of money and can be stressful but take as much time as you can to do as much research as possible.
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