Advice Centre

advice

Posted in
23 Dec 2011
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Letting Scam

The Advice Centre has been informed of a scam involving students looking for new rental properties.

A person claiming to be a landlord will offer to let a property. They will say that they are living abroad and that they require proof of your income before they show you around the property. To get proof of your income they will require you to transfer money into a Western Union (or other) account. They will ask for a receipt to prove that you have transfered the money. They will then take the money and leave you without a property.

Remember, don’t pay any cash deposits without having checked the property and having signed a contract. Check that the landlord has a landline telephone number and a contact address (if you rent a property you are legally entitled to get the landlord’s contact address).

The best place to find properties is through the University Accommodation Office where all the landlords are signed up to the Responsible Landlords Scheme.

If you think that your potential landlord is trying to pull the wool over your eyes then contact the Advice Centre, we can check out your housing contract.

For more information about house hunting visit our advice pages here: http://hallamunion.org/advice/info-housing/