Fake rental listings in Houston: Is your house being used by thieves?
HOUSTON - Imagine seeing your home listed for rent without your permission. It happened to Camila Guerrero.
"Horrible, I was mortified," she said.
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Guerrero says over the past few months, she's had five separate couples come to her house saying they had already paid to rent the property.
"They were very upset because they already paid the money up front," she said.
The most recent couple who came to the house showed her the listing they were responding to. A photo of her house, with her address posted on Craigslist.
It was posted as a short-term rental for $1,500 a month after a $500 deposit.
"So if they come here and have paid the whole month, plus deposit, they've paid $2,000," she said.
Unfortunately, this isn't uncommon in Houston.
Houston real estate agent Kristen Schmidt says these fake adds pop up all the time.
"Zillow, Craiglist, realtor.com, people can go and post a house any time they want, whether it's theirs or not," she said.
She says, according to the FBI, rental rip-offs have increased post-pandemic.
"Since the pandemic, Texans have paid out $32 million more per year than they had prior to the pandemic. So we're seeing these pop up so often now," she said.
She says the worst part is that if someone does pay money to a thief posing as a landlord, it's unlikely the money will be recovered.
She says to avoid becoming a victim, hiring a relator to help you find a rental is the best practice. But if you are looking alone, be aware of the red flags.
Those red flags include:
- A posting that seems "too good to be true"
- A landlord who will not meet in person
-A landlord who will not show you the property in person
-A landlord asking for up-front payment without meeting
She also says to avoid paying any rental fees through wire transfer, rather use a check or credit card.
She also says to check the Harris County Appraisal website to verify who owns a property before moving forward.
"This is a real problem, I think, right now, and we need to come together and speak up," said Guerrero.