Quote:
Originally Posted by swnoel
Renting on craigs list without meeting the owners at the site has consequences... are people really this dumb? If the owners can't meet you at their home or have someone meet you there to view it... run, don't walk!
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Not always. But buyer beware. Do your homework before mailing a check to anyone.
I have used Craigslist for years to rent out regular apartments as well as weekly rentals on Lake Winnipesaukee. There have been times when people expressed skepticism and I was able to resolve it and confirm ownership of the property to their satisfaction.
If you consider renting a property look at the tax assessors website to see who owns the property you are looking at. Also, look to see if the name and address you are sending the check to, if it is not the property address, belongs to the same person. Also, don't send a check to anyone you have not spoken to on the phone first. Just those simple steps will eliminate 99% of the scammers.
The foreigners behind most of the scams will drop off if you insist on a phone number. If you get excuses like " I am travelling for work now and can't talk on the phone" that is usually a good time to move on.
The same works in reverse. A lot of people want to do everything by text or email but I will not rent to anyone who I have not spoken to on the phone at least once. I want to be comfortable with who will be renting the property.
During the winter I routinely rent out a property on Winnipesaukee and have people mail the check to Florida. I have even sent a link to the assessors website to potential renters. Once they match up ownership records it works well.