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Hello! I am 18 years old and was in the market with my boyfriend (21 years old) and my daughter (4 years old) to look for our very first apartment! We have saved up the money and have downloaded apps such as zillow to look for our new apartment. I also checked places like craigslist but i am aware it can be very sketch. I found an nice 1 bed / 1 bathroom apartment in my price range $975 a month & utilities included. It's located in Torrance. I found this listing a few weeks back on craigslist and had screenshotted it on my phone and during my frustration of finding a place, i looked back at my screen shots and decided to call the number to see if it's still available. The manager answered and had told me that it was just recently taken. BUT, there's a tenant that recently told him that she's leaving on the 15th of September. He told me this on the 1st of September. He said that if i'm really serious on getting this apartment we can start now, so he doesn't need to contact someone to make a listing for him again (He claims he's not tech savvy and doesn't k now how to do all of that so he has someone else post the listings for him) He said that i can come down and he can show me the apartment i was originally trying to rent (since she just moved in) to get an idea of how my apartment was going to look like, he says all the apartments are styled the same way. When i got there, i did see he had the sign "MANAGER" on his door. He was in the #1 apartment. It was also the first of the month so i did see and meet a couple tenants since they were going to him to give the rent money. Everything was fine, i looked inside another tenants apartment and i loved it. it was a perfect first apartment. There was no lease, it was a month to month rent.
Now here's where things got tricky for me.
He gave me 2 applications, one for me and my boyfriend. There's an application fee of $25 per application. UNDERSTANDABLE. i expected that. I gave my application back that same day with the $50. He told me he would quickly process it. He called me back the next day and told me that we got approved for the apartment! I was a little suspicious that he got back to me so quickly, so i checked my credit and indeed saw that was checked and had a "hard inquiry" by a company called "SCREENING PROS" So, i did believe that i was approved for this apartment since my credit was checked. He told me the next step was to give the deposit $975 IN CASH to hold the apartment for me so no one else can apply for it. The current tenant is moving out on the 15th of September. It is the 2nd of September that he called me with the approval. He said move in date should be the 20th of September. I asked him why can't i give money order or cashiers check instead of cash? He said he doesn't know that's how the owners run it, first months rent and deposit has to be in cash and after that no more accepting cash for rent. He did tell me that he will give me receipts for the deposit / first months rent when i give the money. Also he said that i can sign the contract a few days before move in and that's when i also give the first months rent. But when i give the deposit i won't sign the contract yet.
I told my family the situation and they feel suspicious about it. What if i don't get the apartment and they won't give me back the money? So i called the manager back and told him our worries and he said that if we want we can sign the contract when i give the deposit and he will give me a copy, BUT he will not put the move in date since the current tenant has not moved out yet.
I really like this place. I really want to believe he has good intentions but now i'm scared and paranoid. There was other tenants that lived there and he was receiving rent money from them and it all seemed normal in my eyes. can i get your input? i need to know before i go in 2 datys to give the deposit..
If you are talking Torrance CA. There are no $975 1BR apartments in Torrance
Have you walked into the place? No?
All cash?
You are right to be suspicious
sounds sketchy to me, also dont trust anything on craigslist at all, only use sites zillow etc, and if the rent seems to be too good to be true than it is!
Like jw2 said theres none that cheap in Torrance so he probably knows a thing or two.
I had some couple/family show up saying they wanted to look at the house and asking if I"m the owner, I'm like yeah I am how can I help you? They were saying that they've been talking to someone about the house for 1000 dollars 3br/3ba in a very popular area/neighborhood lol. I'm like you've been talking to a scammer cause thats not me. ANd they showed me the texts and the person told them hes out of state and cant show the house in person, but to just go by the house and look in through the windows and if they like it to send him a check, if I hadn't been there they would have been out of 1000 dollars and I would have had some weird people trying to move in thinking they actually rented the place from me
If you are talking Torrance CA. There are no $975 1BR apartments in Torrance
Have you walked into the place? No?
All cash?
You are right to be suspicious
In the story I said that I did visit the place. I went there in person to look at it. There were other tenants there and they were approaching him and giving him the rent money since it was the 1st of September. It's like borderline Torrance and lawndale, right by el Camino college if that helps.
He was in the manager's office. Other tenants acknowledged him as the manager. Your credit was checked
Many landlords insist upon cash for the deposit and first month's rent because they don't want to let someone in and then find out 2-3 weeks later that the new tenant moved in with a bad check. Money orders can be counterfeited so nobody wants to take a money order from a person they don't know.
Either get a receipt and a brief contract that states that the money is to hold the apartment for you, with an estimated time of occupancy in the second half of September. Get a receipt that says the money will be refunded if the apartment does not become available.
The other option is to pass this apartment by and keep hunting for a place to live. Don't pay the deposit on this apartment if it makes you uncomfortable.
As long as you get a receipt. I would also ask if you can sign the lease in advance. That way if he does abscond (and everything checks out, I don't think he will) you have some backup evidence to sue him.
It sounds like its an old school building run by older, non tech savvy landlords, that might not even have the tech savvy to know what market rent should be. Your willing to play by their rules means you can get a place for cheaper than normal.
You have to give the deposit with no signed contract? Perhaps you could speak to other tenants in the building and ask if they are happy living there. Do your own background check on the management. When you sign the contact, take pics of each page because you may not get a copy back right away. Congrats on your first apartment.
You have to give the deposit with no signed contract? Perhaps you could speak to other tenants in the building and ask if they are happy living there. Do your own background check on the management. When you sign the contact, take pics of each page because you may not get a copy back right away. Congrats on your first apartment.
Well I said later in the post that I addressed my worries to the manager and he said that when I give the first deposit, which is tomorrow, that he will also let me sign the contract and also give me a copy. Thank you 😁
As long as you get a receipt. I would also ask if you can sign the lease in advance. That way if he does abscond (and everything checks out, I don't think he will) you have some backup evidence to sue him.
It sounds like its an old school building run by older, non tech savvy landlords, that might not even have the tech savvy to know what market rent should be. Your willing to play by their rules means you can get a place for cheaper than normal.
That's what I was thinking as well.... If he was scamming me don't you think he would go to the full extent to get more money out of me? Because I did mention to him that if it was possible for me to pay extra money every month for a 2nd parking spot and he said no. Wouldn't a SCAMMER just say yes and just tell me to pay more for my first month's rent? Since they are scamming me and know I'm not getting anything in return..
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