{"id":20940,"date":"2023-02-01T16:49:56","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T08:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=oasis-news&#038;p=20940"},"modified":"2025-08-27T17:08:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T09:08:15","slug":"how-to-avoid-rental-scams","status":"publish","type":"oasis-news","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/oasis-news\/how-to-avoid-rental-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"How to avoid rental scams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While you search for your perfect place to call home while you study, the last thing you want to encounter is a scam or another type of fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, rental scams are becoming increasingly common due to the high demand for properties and the impact of the pandemic. Scammers are targeting students and they can be difficult to identify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some tips to reduce your risk of being caught up in a rental scam:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Be careful with your money: <\/strong>Never pay any money before viewing private rental accommodation in person and be very wary of any requests for up-front payments, particularly in cash, as this is a common technique for scammers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because it is difficult to trace and recover, scammers often ask for payment through PayPal or wire transfers such as Western Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Always get a receipt for any money paid. If possible, ask them to invoice you first and so you can confirm the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Do your research:<\/strong> Before paying any money, research the property and the owner.<ul><li>Search the address online to see if it is listed on a legitimate rental website. Try <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/websearch\/answer\/1325808\">reverse image searching<\/a> photos you\u2019ve been sent to see if they have potentially been taken from elsewhere, or if they are from an old sales listing.<\/li><\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Try searching online for the property with words like \u2018review\u2019 or \u2018complaint\u2019. If you find a history of negative reviews on the property or on the owner or agent, you may consider looking elsewhere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Beware of online classified ads:<\/strong> Although it can seem like a good source of available properties, we ask you to be vigilant on accommodation adverts on Facebook, Gumtree, online forums or other websites that don&#8217;t verify their listings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Meet in person:<\/strong> If possible, meet the owner or agent in person to view the property and ask any questions you may have. If they won\u2019t talk on the phone or meet in person, this is a red flag. They might tell you that they work away from Perth, or aren\u2019t able to travel due to other commitments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ask questions:<\/strong> Ask some specific questions that only someone familiar with the property would know. Watch for any red flags in their replies \u2013 they may not be clear on any details or can\u2019t confirm any information.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check the owner&#8217;s identity: <\/strong>If you&#8217;re dealing with a private owner, verify their identity through photo ID, such as a driver\u2019s license, and take a picture or write down the key details. Legitimate owners will understand you\u2019re just being careful. If you have any suspicions, for a small fee you can also check that the owner\u2019s name matches the \u2018Registered Proprietor\u2019 on the <a href=\"https:\/\/land-enquiry.app.landgate.wa.gov.au\/SVProperty\/search\/address\/Titles\">Landgate Certificate of Title<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check the Property Manager:<\/strong> If you&#8217;re viewing a property with a property manager, check they are a Licensed Real Estate Sales Representative using the WA Department of Commerce\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.wa.gov.au\/consumer-protection\/consumer-protection-licence-and-registration-search\">online tool<\/a>. All you need is their full name (ask them to provide their ID!). You should also look up the company and call the office directly to check they are employed there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Read the lease carefully:<\/strong> If you do decide to rent the property, read the lease carefully and ensure that all terms and conditions are clearly outlined. Do not sign anything that does not seem legitimate, or that you do not understand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety has produced an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.wa.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/atoms\/files\/tenantsguide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">essential guide to renting a home in WA<\/a>, which contains useful information on tenants\u2019 rights and obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Report any concerns:<\/strong> Don\u2019t let anyone else fall victim to rental scammers. If you suspect a scam, please email report the scam to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scamnet.wa.gov.au\/scamnet\/Report_a_scam.htm\">WA ScamNet<\/a>, a State Government service helping to combat this ever-increasing problem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Trust your instincts:<\/strong> If something seems too good to be true, or if the owner is unwilling to answer your questions, it&#8217;s best to move on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, it&#8217;s always better to be safe than sorry. It pays off to be diligent in your research and ask questions. Even though you may be stressed and the rental market is tight, don\u2019t be rushed into making a decision and handing over your money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need any more assistance, please get in touch with one of our Accommodation Coaches at Curtin Connect through the <a href=\"https:\/\/students.connect.curtin.edu.au\/app\/ask_details\/p\/2175\/WebForm\/Ask%20a%20question\/WebLabel\/Require%20assistance%20finding%20Accommodation\">webform<\/a> who may provide a range of resources and contacts to help your accommodation search.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While you search for your perfect place to call home while you study, the last thing you want to encounter is a scam or another type of fraud. Read our tips to reduce your risk of being caught up in a rental scam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4317,"featured_media":20941,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"4899,5499,4583,8538,5103,5057","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_oasis-categories":0,"footnotes":""},"oasis-categories":[135,149],"class_list":["post-20940","oasis-news","type-oasis-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","oasis-categories-housing","oasis-categories-wellbeing"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"banner":{"image":20941}},"post_components":false},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/rental_scam_image-1920x500.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Jaeger","last_name":"Wieland","display_name":"Jaeger Wieland"},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-24 18:43:41","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/20940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oasis-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/20940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-categories?post=20940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}