There are many ridiculous stories online about landlords trying to scam their tenants. While by no means does this indicate that all people in this business are like this, those few bad apples really ruin the appearance of the whole batch.

For example, this Redditor shares how he left his rent check in the mailbox for the landlord, who later informed him that the payment was nowhere to be found and nobody else could’ve taken it. When the man freaked out and started asking questions, it turned out that someone could and did deposit the money. Scroll down to learn all about it!

More info: Reddit

Sometimes, landlords seem to just “forget” stuff when it’s beneficial for them

Image credits: Michael Burrows (not the actual photo)

A man received a message from his landlord asking for rent payment even though he had already left it in the mailbox as agreed

Image credits: u/TheGuyThatThisIs

The landlord replied that the mailbox was empty, so the man got worried and contacted his bank to cancel the check

Image credits: u/TheGuyThatThisIs

When the man told his landlord that the check had already been deposited, the property owner suddenly “remembered” that his brother had done it 2 days ago

In this story, the OP presents screenshots showcasing his conversation with his landlord, which strongly smelled like an attempt at a poorly planned and executed scam scheme.

The man received a text message from his landlord asking if he could leave the rent money he owed, to which the man explained that he had written a check some time ago and dropped it in the mailbox.

The landlord replied that no one else besides him had the key to the mailbox and reassured him that the mailbox was empty.

The OP got worried and contacted his bank, only to learn that the check had actually been deposited. He started asking the landlord if it couldn’t have been his brother who did it.

After getting this message, the landlord almost instantly replied, saying that his brother had, in fact, done it 2 days ago and everything was fine.

The commenters were baffled by this quick change of tune. They laughed at this incident and shared their own stories of landlords trying to scam rent money from them.

In one comment, the author also gave more context, saying that this property owner had already lost his check last month even though it was in the mailbox the whole time. The OP had to go to the bank to cancel it and, thus, offered to hand it to him directly, but since the man usually collects it a week after it’s due and the poster was out of town, it wasn’t an option this time.

Image credits: Jan van der Wolf (not the actual photo)

While there are some landlords who pull stuff like this and make people’s lives more complicated for no good reason, the real scammers are the fake landlords lurking in the shadows and offering nonexistent rent options.

The best way to ensure you don’t fall for something like this is to know the telltale signs that things are foul, and Rent.com.au is here to educate us on them.

The first thing to be aware of is the offers that seem too good to be true. It may be a huge apartment in a perfect location for a meager price, and it feels like a one-in-a-million opportunity to snatch something so good. Well, this is likely nothing more than an attempt to fool you.

Fake renters might also hijack an existing rental property listing, changing the contact information. So, checking for duplicate listings under a different name is always a good idea. You can check that by copying the address and searching for it online.

The matter of payment is another thing to pay attention to. If you’re asked to wire the money, you won’t have any chance of getting it back. Instead, look for renters who are fine with an electronic deposit via a bank account, which would let you track your money.

Never sign or send any documents or personal information before checking out the property in person and meeting the landlord. If they’re making excuses, their motives will be pretty clear.

Make sure it’s actually a real rentable property. Some people will try to trick you into “renting” something that’s not even available and get your money before you realize the truth. If you’re searching remotely and can’t visit the property yourself, ask someone you know to do it for you.

Lastly, the article provides some extra red flags to be aware of. These include the listing having no photos, the renter asking you to complete the transaction through external websites, the landlord making excuses, like being out of town or overseas, and asking for money before viewing the property.

Ultimately, there will always be people needing a place to live, and thus, there will always be scammers trying to take advantage of them. However, this doesn’t mean all properties are fake, and all landlords are looking for ways to grab your money. Even the man in our story might’ve truthfully forgotten that his brother had access to the rent check. It just pays to be careful.

What did you think of this story? Do you have any interesting happenings with landlords you’d like to share? The comment section is waiting!

The commenters were baffled by the situation and were inclined to share similar incidents of their own

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