How To Keep Safe From Being Defrauded From Fake Property Rentals In Ireland?

If you’re looking to rent a property, don’t base your decision solely on the low price of the property. Ask for proof of ownership and references from previous tenants. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is

Always avoid paying any money in advance. Don't pay a deposit, key deposit or any other kind of money.

Remember that you are not obliged to pay anything until after you have signed the lease and moved into your new home.

When you're looking at properties to rent, make sure that the rental agreement is written in plain English and has the following information

The amount of rent, deposit and any other payments that will be taken from you

• The date when your tenancy starts and ends (e.g., July 15th, 2019)
• Your rights as a tenant (e.g., being able to live peacefully in your property)
• Your landlord's rights (e.g., being able to enter the property if needed)

In addition to meeting the landlord, you should also visit the property. While it's a pain to take time off work to travel, this step can help prevent fraud by ensuring that the person you're dealing with is actually an owner of the rental property. If possible, try to meet in person—but if that's not possible and you're still concerned about being scammed by a fake landlord, ask for photos or videos as proof that he does actually own the place.

If you are unable to meet in person and obtain video or photographic evidence of ownership from your potential landlord, don't be afraid to ask questions about his identity or where he resides (if it isn't clear from his name). For example: "What address do I use when sending rent checks?" or "Where do I send my deposit?" If anything seems fishy at all during this initial interaction (or if they don't seem like they want any kind of contact), avoid working with them further.

There are several ways you can do research on a property, before you book it. This can help you avoid being scammed and ensure that the property is as advertised.

You should use the following online tools to check out the property:

• Google Street View: This lets you look at the house from all angles, so that you can see if there are any issues with previous damage or anything else about the exterior of the house that might be a cause for concern. You can also check out whether there are any cars parked outside, which may be an indication of whether it's occupied or not (cars parked outside indicate occupancy; no cars parked outside indicate vacancy).
• Daft.ie: This is a great way to find out about the history of a property, including previous owners and any issues that have arisen. You can also get an idea of how much other properties in the area have sold for and what price you should be looking to pay for your new home.

When looking for a rental property in Ireland, you may be tempted to use an anonymous money transfer service.

There have been cases of scammers setting up fake rental properties and then requesting that payments be made through an anonymous money transfer service. Once the payment is made, the scammer disappears and the victim is left without a place to stay.

If you make a payment through an anonymous money transfer service and something goes wrong, you may not have any legal recourse since there is no way to identify the person you sent the payment to. This could leave you out of pocket and without a place to stay.

What to do if you have been defrauded by a fake property rental?

It can be extremely upsetting to find out that you've been the victim of a property rental scam. If you're in this situation, there are a few things you can do to try and rectify the situation.

Firstly, get in touch with the Gardaí (Irish police force) and make a report. This will help to document what has happened and could potentially lead to the arrest of the person or people responsible.

Secondly, if you have paid any money to the fraudster, contact your bank or building society immediately and explain what has happened. They may be able to refund you if the payment was made recently.

Thirdly, spread the word! Let your friends and family know about what happened so they can avoid being scammed themselves. You can also warn other renters by leaving negative reviews on websites like Airbnb or Daft.ie. Finally, contact Citizen's Advice for more detailed advice on how to proceed.

Conclusion

I hope that this article has helped you to understand how to avoid being defrauded by a fake property rental in Ireland. It’s important not just for your own peace of mind, but also because there are people out there who need our help. There are many scams currently circulating in Ireland, so be sure to check any adverts carefully before responding or handing over money. If something doesn’t feel right – don’t do it!