How to make sure rental apartment is legitimate if I'm in a different city?
If I'm in one location, and I want to rent a place in another country/city for a few months, but I have to get the apartment remotely, and I do not have the ability to actually visit the place before time.
How do I make sure I'm not getting scammed when finding a good deal online?
What steps can I take to ensure the rental is legitimate?
Best Answer
Requests for deposits by untraceable means (Western Union, Moneygram, cash) are guaranteed to be fake. Some scammers are lazy enough that Googling the landlord's name (i.e., alias) will bring up complaints.
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Answer 2
Locate an ex-pat forum in the country / destination in question, then ask them for feedback on the place you have in mind.
Look up apartment licensing in the destination, then if required look to see if the place is registered.
Check bigger travel forums like TripAdvisor as long term stays are often discussed.
One other thing to keep in mind, especially in developing or third world countries, apartments are rented to the first person who shows up with cash, so an online "reservation" may not be 100% certain.
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