Apartment rental scams

[brikis98]

My gf is looking to rent an apartment in Prague for a month or two this summer. She's gotten in touch with a few people who have offered apartments that seem very nice at a (by our standards) low price. The problem, of course, is that she can't just stop by to check them out! Since these people typically want a month's rent in advance, as well as a lot of personal information, i'm concerned some of these may be scams.

one email exchange, for example, was with a woman who's father-in-law owned the apartment, was away in Africa, we would have to deal with the family attorney, etc. The pictures of the apartment looked like professional/stock photography of some VERY snazzy place, it was located right in central prague, and the cost was (only?) 500 euros/month. the scam alert is going off in my head, but how can i know for sure?

Anyone have any advice on:

1. How to make sure the person actually owns the property?
2. How to find *accurate* rental prices for comparable apartments to see if these prices are unusually low or just the norm?
3. How to protect the deposit so the renter doesn't just run off with it?
4. Reputable means (websites, real estate companies, travel companies) to find apartments in Prague?

Cliffs
* Want to rent an apartment in Prague for a month or two this summer
* How to avoid scams?

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: brikis98
was with a woman who's father-in-law owned the apartment, was away in Africa, we would have to deal with the family attorney, etc.

IS he in Nigeria by chance?

 

[TheKub]

In the case you describe I would deal with a real estate agent.

 

[JS80]

I would stay at a hostel for a few days and look around and find a place to stay or like someone suggested go through a reputable agency.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: brikis98
was with a woman who's father-in-law owned the apartment, was away in Africa, we would have to deal with the family attorney, etc.

IS he in Nigeria by chance?

From the email:

My Father in-law is the owner of the apartment is on a tour to the western coast of africa and will only come back to visit the apartment occasionally .

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: brikis98
was with a woman who's father-in-law owned the apartment, was away in Africa, we would have to deal with the family attorney, etc.

IS he in Nigeria by chance?

From the email:

My Father in-law is the owner of the apartment is on a tour to the western coast of africa and will only come back to visit the apartment occasionally .

Read that again.

WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!

 

[O2Deprived]

Would someplace like Century 21 be able to put you in touch with a reputable overseas real estate agency?

As far as too good to be true, it's most likely the case. I'd be willing to be if you checked the IP addresses, not only is there a good chance they be the same (lawyer, woman, father in-law) but that none of them are from Prague.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: brikis98
was with a woman who's father-in-law owned the apartment, was away in Africa, we would have to deal with the family attorney, etc.

IS he in Nigeria by chance?

From the email:

My Father in-law is the owner of the apartment is on a tour to the western coast of africa and will only come back to visit the apartment occasionally .

Read that again.

WHAT DO YOU THINK!!!

easy there man

i wrote in the OP: the scam alert is going off in my head, but how can i know for sure?

i'm not trying to figure out if this particular email is a scam but strategies for avoiding scams in general.

 

[legoman666]

sounds like the type of situation to go through an agent.

 

[summit]

hint: do not use craigslist Prague.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Summit
hint: do not use craigslist Prague.

I would, but not for rentals. I would post on the forums and ask for the name/contact of a local rental agency, so I could call them up and find an apartment through them, rather than direct through an owner.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Summit
hint: do not use craigslist Prague.

is it known for scams or something?

 

[summit]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: Summit
hint: do not use craigslist Prague.

is it known for scams or something?

only use it for cas/ers lolz ... stay away from rentals on cl in prague

 

[brikis98]

up for the night crew

 

[paulney]

There are agencies that deal with renting apartments in Prague and other cities.
I, personally, have not rented in Prague (used a hotel), but did rent in Helsinki.

So, my advice: deal with an agency, skip the individuals.