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Dropped $75 on a "rental application fee" for an apartment in Phoenix that was already rented | Apartment Hunting Hacks - Librear

eva243•4d ago

Dropped $75 on a "rental application fee" for an apartment in Phoenix that was already rented

So I found this place on a listing site last month, decent price, and the guy said I had to pay the $75 app fee before he'd even show it to me. I paid it that same day because the market here is nuts and I panicked. Two days later he tells me sorry, someone else got approved first. I did some digging and the same unit is back up under a different listing, same photos, same fee. Turns out this is a thing now, people run ads for places they don't even have and just pocket the fees. I reported the listing but my $75 is gone and I feel dumb for not asking to see the place in person first. Has this happened to anyone else in Phoenix, and is there a way to check if a landlord is legit before you hand over any cash?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_reese3d ago

That $75 "application fee before viewing" thing is the oldest scam in the book, real landlords in Phoenix never charge to show a unit, only after you actually apply in person. Before paying anything, look up the property owner on the Maricopa County Assessor site and check if the name matches who you're talking to, since a rando with a gmail address and no paper trail is a red flag every time. Also never pay a fee through Zelle or Cash App, use a card so you can dispute the charge when they ghost you.

gracem903d ago

Paying $75 to look at an apartment you might not even get is basically a cover charge for disappointment, and somehow these clowns think we won't notice. @the_reese nailed it with the assessor lookup though, takes two minutes and saves you from handing cash to some guy named "Property Management LLC" with a gmail. Card only, always, because a dispute button is the only friend you've got when they vanish lol.