Clare gardai advise vigilance when renting a home

CLARE gardai have warned the public to be vigilant of scams when seeking accommodation to rent.

The issue was raised by Clare crime prevention officer Sergeant Triona Brooks who this week relayed the experience of one woman who was searching for accommodation on a rental site.

The woman e-mailed who she believed to be the landlord of a property that she was interested in. She then transferred a substantial amount of money for renting this accommodation through a link that he sent to her. Since then the e-mail address is no longer in existence.

“As students start to look for accommodation for the next college year or for summer trips don’t be tricked into paying a deposit for a property that does not exist or has already been rented, often to multiple people,” warned Sergeant Brooks.

She provided a checklist of precautions anyone should undertake when seeking a rental property.

• Do your homework – look at the average rent price in the area and if the rent is unusually low and it seems too good to be true it usually is.

• Use online maps to double check that the property being advertised actually exists and is at the stated address.

• Keep copies of all correspondence between yourself and the advertiser, including bank details and the advertisement itself.

• Use legitimate well-known rental agencies where possible.

• Don’t hand over any money until you have seen the property and are happy with its condition. Once satisfied use a cheque or bank draft to pay the deposit.

• Don’t make any payments until you have been given the keys and signed the rental contract. Always check that the keys fit in the lock.

• Don’t transfer money unless you have carried out all the relevant checks and you are absolutely sure that the listing is genuine.

• Don’t be embarrassed if you have been scammed. Report it to your local Garda Station and contact your bank.