17th
Apr 2016
It has been reported by the NFIB (National Fraud Intelligence), that increasing numbers of empty properties are being used by criminals purporting to be landlords to commit rental fraud.
Fake landlords have been taking over empty properties and replacing locks before ensnaring unsuspecting tenants into unlawful tenancies who find themselves homeless after the real landlords find them living in their properties. Of course the landlords then have to go through a costly and lengthy eviction process, besides having to change locks and repair any other associated damage to the property.
The NFIB is strongly urging all landlords, who have vacant properties, to be forever on their guard and to inspect them regularly and immediately report any instances of being called to provide details about the property.
The CEO for property management experts, Guy Other, said: “Landlords have an obligation to ensure that their vacant property is not being used inappropriately. By employing rigorous security and monitoring measures on their sites, managers can protect the public from falling victim to these crimes. However, unsuspecting tenants are not the only vulnerable party in fake landlord scams. The cost to landlords in terms of monetary and reputational loss could potentially be huge.”
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