Many people wonder if it is safe to apartment hunt online, especially in places such as Craigslist and Facebook where almost anyone can post.
As a general answer, there are two sides to the question. Nowadays real estate agents DO post ads to Craigslist and Marketplace. The realty software we use helps us do this automatically.
On the other hand there are certain red flags to keep an eye out for when looking for apartments online.
In particular be aware that...
Let's talk further about each of these points briefly. First, if you've made a decision to deal directly with a landlord, and an agent decides to post an ad on a site where people go because they want to deal with landlords, not agents, and holds off telling you that they're an agent, that's scammy. (Another practice might be posting apartments that don't even exist just to get your lead as a customer.)
Second, in the course of a real estate transactions, you're sharing a lot of sensitive information with the person you're transacting with. You can't (or at least shouldn't) just fire out your most intimate personal information to random strangers, In fact, whoever you're dealing with shouldn't be someone who can just disappear once they've gotten your information, or worse... your money. Likewise, the person you're dealing with needs to know the law well enough to follow it and pull through on their responsibilities to you should you become a client. This includes giving you certain disclosure forms that are there to protect your rights.
Finally, there's a huge problem in NYC with illegally converted rentals. Not to use scare tactics, some of these have made big news stories over the years. Not only are many of these places very unsafe, you can actually wind up out on the street if the premises are condemned.
As a general answer, there are two sides to the question. Nowadays real estate agents DO post ads to Craigslist and Marketplace. The realty software we use helps us do this automatically.
On the other hand there are certain red flags to keep an eye out for when looking for apartments online.
In particular be aware that...
- Real estate agents can't post blind ads. That means, we have to say up front that we're real estate agents (licensed real estate sales person), and they have to identify our sponsoring broker
- With very few exceptions, a person needs a LICENSE to collect money on behalf of someone else (in the capacity of a real estate transaction.) You can't just rent out people's apartments as a hobby. That's against the law.
- Some types of apartments are illegal to rent out. These include certain types of basements and conversions. In addition to this, short term rentals (airBNB included) are often illegal. (They're fun when you're the guest, but when you're the neighbor who sees endless streams of "backpackers" coming in and out of your neighbor's otherwise unoccupied apartment.)
Let's talk further about each of these points briefly. First, if you've made a decision to deal directly with a landlord, and an agent decides to post an ad on a site where people go because they want to deal with landlords, not agents, and holds off telling you that they're an agent, that's scammy. (Another practice might be posting apartments that don't even exist just to get your lead as a customer.)
Second, in the course of a real estate transactions, you're sharing a lot of sensitive information with the person you're transacting with. You can't (or at least shouldn't) just fire out your most intimate personal information to random strangers, In fact, whoever you're dealing with shouldn't be someone who can just disappear once they've gotten your information, or worse... your money. Likewise, the person you're dealing with needs to know the law well enough to follow it and pull through on their responsibilities to you should you become a client. This includes giving you certain disclosure forms that are there to protect your rights.
Finally, there's a huge problem in NYC with illegally converted rentals. Not to use scare tactics, some of these have made big news stories over the years. Not only are many of these places very unsafe, you can actually wind up out on the street if the premises are condemned.
In the end, always use caution, even when dealing in person with licensed agents. In addition, be wary of apartments that are rented out well below market value. For example, if the going rate for a similar apartment in the area (same size, similar location, similar amenities) is way more, think of the adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/tenant/spot-illegal-conversion.page
www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/tenant/spot-illegal-conversion.page