To rent an apartment, what to ask. How to rent an apartment correctly so as not to be deceived by agents or homeowners. Treaty as a panacea

06.02.19 58 135 28

And don’t give money to scammers

For three years I helped people rent apartments and now I know several thousand rental stories.

Maria Yakovleva

protects people from scammers

It happened that my clients found an apartment, agreed to move, but instead lost money and were left homeless. I’ll tell you about the six most common schemes to defraud employers and explain which documents to check and what to pay attention to.

Fraud Option

Fake apartments from news agencies

There are agencies in the real estate market that sell only information, which is why they are called information agencies. They provide false information about apartments, take a commission from the client and do not guarantee occupancy.

Advertisements from such agencies often come across people who have just arrived in a foreign city and want to quickly rent an apartment. I noticed that even the offices of such agencies are often located near train stations and popular hostels.

To do this, the potential employer is invited to a decent office, most often in the city center. Managers are well trained and come across as professionals. The future employer is provided with licenses and documents and shown many fake awards, diplomas and certificates.

After meeting, they offer to sign an agreement and pay a commission. Under this agreement, the agency provides the addresses of the apartments for rent and the telephone numbers of their owners. The manager shows photographs of attractive options - luxury apartments at a reduced price.

Then the manager gives out information, offers to call the fake owner and go to view the apartment without an agent. There are several options for further developments. The owner says that the apartment is rented, or does not answer the phone, the phone number turns out to be inactive, or it turns out that the apartment at that address is not for rent or does not exist.

If you return to the agency, the manager will present an information contract. There is no clause in it that the information must be up-to-date, and the agency undertakes to find an apartment. The client was provided with information, but the agency is not responsible for its quality. It may happen that the office will no longer exist, because news agencies in most cases are fly-by-night companies.


How to protect yourself. If you realize that an ad on the site was posted by a news agency, do not call them, but complain to the support service. Specialists from large websites know how to recognize news agencies. They will additionally check the user and all his ads and block if they find violations.

If you call and understand that you are dealing with an agency, do not come to the office. You'll waste your time, but you won't rent an apartment. If you only recognize a news agency on the spot, run away from there. And don't forget about the basic rules:

  1. Read the contract carefully and do not pay money at the office. In good agencies, they will first show you the apartment, offer to check the documents, sign a rental agreement, a transfer and acceptance certificate, and only then ask you to make an advance payment.
  2. Expensive apartments and quality services cannot be cheap. News agencies lure people precisely because their services are cheap: they set prices 2-3 times lower than honest agents.

For example, in St. Petersburg the most popular type of apartment is one-room apartments with average quality renovations near the metro for about 20 thousand rubles. If you find an agent with a 50% commission, pay 10 thousand rubles for the search. News agencies charge less for their services - usually 10-20% of rent per month, that is, 2-4 thousand rubles.


Fraud Option

Black realtors and other people's apartments

A person has the right to rent out only his own apartment and confirms this with a certificate of registration of rights or an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate (USRN) and a title document, such as a purchase and sale agreement. To rent out someone else's apartment, even a close relative, you need a notarized power of attorney.

Fraudsters play on people's trust. They rent an apartment, falsify documents and rent it out to several people. This scheme was widespread in the 90s due to black realtors, but is now less common.

Deception scheme. First, the scammer rents an apartment and prepares for future deception. He chooses owners who rarely appear in the apartment: they work a lot, travel or live abroad. Then the “landlord” falsifies all the documents that the tenants check - a passport, a certificate of registration of the right to an apartment and a title document - and offers the apartment at a reduced price. This way there is a greater chance of quickly finding willing people.

The scammer takes calls and schedules viewings for different time so that employers do not interfere with each other. Shows everyone fake documents, talks about the advantages of the apartment and behaves like a real, conscientious owner. Finally, he signs several rental agreements, takes rent from each employer and disappears.

The tenant comes to “his” apartment and sees a crowd of other people. Everyone has a fake rental agreement, and everyone is sure that it was he who rented the apartment. After disputes and clarifications, everyone understands that they have run into a scammer. Perhaps all the tenants will meet at the door, because the scammer will have time to change the locks so that no one gets into the apartment. In any case, they do not have rights to the apartment, since the rental agreement was concluded with a person who does not own the apartment.

How to protect yourself. Check documents slowly and thoughtfully. If the landlord is rushing you, don’t give in: ask questions, read the rental agreement. The scammer is in a stressful situation, so he will rush. It is important for him that the potential employer does not notice the counterfeits and quickly gives the money: he has several more similar victims in line.

From the documents, check the certificate of registration of title, if the apartment was purchased before July 15, 2016, or an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, if after this date. You should also look at the title documents - most often this is a purchase and sale agreement or an agreement for shared participation in construction for new buildings - and the passports of all owners.

How to distinguish sublease from fraud

Subletting is a normal, legal practice in the real estate world. The tenant rents an apartment from the landlord with the right to sublease. After which he rents it out to other people and enters into contracts with them. This scheme is more common in the market daily rental, less - for long-term.

You can distinguish sublease from fraud by checking documents. Look at your passport, title documents and registration certificate or extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate. This way you will understand who the owner of the apartment is.

If this is a sublease, the contract will definitely have a clause stating that the owner is not against subletting his apartment. It may look like this: “The Landlord does not object to the Tenant subletting residential premises at the address: Moscow, st. Obraztsova, 8a, apt. 80, from January 1, 2019 to January 8, 2019.”

The owner’s consent is also formalized in the form of an appendix, agreement, letter or any other written document and supplements the contract.

Fraud Option

Renting without the consent of the apartment owner

If an apartment is owned by several owners, each of them must give their consent to renting out the apartment. Their passport details and consent are indicated in the rental agreement.

One owner cannot decide for the others and rent out the entire apartment. This is illegal. Therefore, if this happened, then it is either inattention or a pre-conceived fraudulent scheme.

Deception scheme. An apartment belongs, for example, to two owners in equal shares. The contract is concluded by one of them - he enters his passport data and signs. That is, the tenant receives his consent to rent an apartment. Since there are two owners, by law both must give consent, even if one of them decided to rent out only his share.

When the second owner finds out that the apartment was rented out without his consent, he can go to the police and court and challenge the deal. The rental agreement will be declared invalid, and the tenant will have to look for another apartment.

How to protect yourself. Check title documents: certificate of registration of rights or extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate. If you see several owners in the certificate or extract, include them all in the rental agreement. Each owner must be present when the contract is signed. Check everyone’s passport, enter the data in the contract and be sure to make sure that everyone signs the contract.

If not all owners can be present at the signing of the agreement, one of them - the one with whom you are entering into an agreement - must confirm in writing that the remaining owners are not against the transaction. This is done in the form of a clause in the contract or an appendix.

Such consent does not ensure complete safety. There have been cases when it turned out that the other owner was categorically against renting out the apartment, and, despite the guarantees, the contract was declared invalid. That's why the best option- a rental agreement with all owners or a notarized power of attorney from absent owners for the right to sign the agreement.

Is it possible to agree verbally if you rent an apartment from friends?

No, renting an apartment must be stated in the contract. If you are actually renting an apartment and paying money for it, and not just staying for a while, sign an agreement.

Relations between relatives can deteriorate, and without the protection of a contract, you risk being left without money and housing.

Fraud Option

Changing locks by owner

The employer has the rights to rented apartment, only when he and the landlord signed the rental agreement and the acceptance certificate. If they agreed verbally and the owner promised to rent out the apartment, and the tenant gave him money for it, the rights to the apartment still remain with the owner. He can do whatever he wants in it, for example, change the locks on the front door.

The lock replacement scam scheme is aimed mainly at gullible people who do not understand the importance of contracts, receipts and other papers. In the world of real estate, only written agreements work.


Deception scheme. Most often, a rental agreement is not concluded: the landlord simply hands over the keys and takes either the entire monthly rental amount or a deposit. Doesn't give any receipts. Then he asks not to come into the apartment for a couple of days under the pretext that he needs to finish minor repairs or pick up things.

When the tenant arrives at the apartment, the key does not fit the lock. The owner needed these few days to change the locks. The deceived tenant will not be able to somehow confirm the fact of the agreement with the owner, because there is no rental agreement and no receipt for the deposit.

How to protect yourself. Always enter into a rental agreement, draw up a transfer and acceptance certificate and record the transfer of money. If you pay a deposit, ask the owner for a receipt, at least handwritten on a plain piece of paper.

But it will be better if you print out the form in advance and fill it out with the owner.

When you transfer the deposit for an apartment to the owner, write this down in the annex to the mutual settlement agreement. If the owner comes to you every month for money, make a new entry in both copies of the contract. If you do not see the owner and transfer money to him on the card, keep the receipts.

Fraud Option

Generosity Promotions

This scheme was invented for solvent people who count their money and want to save money. If the tenant agrees to rent an apartment at the stated price - or, conversely, does not agree - he is offered a discount, but is asked to pay several months in advance.

Deception scheme. Fraudsters put pressure on greed: they argue that the apartment will cost much less. For example, housing costs 25,000 rubles per month, but if you pay 120,000 rubles in advance six months in advance, it will cost 20,000 rubles per month. This is a significant saving, which is why many employers agree. Perhaps this is an honest offer from the owner and there will be no deception. But it happens that the landlord kicks the tenant out of the apartment ahead of schedule or suddenly replaces the locks, and keeps the money for himself.

How to protect yourself. It is better to pay only one month's rent in advance. The owner can kick out, change the locks or sell the apartment, and the tenant can change his mind and move to another property. In such cases, it will be difficult to collect money from the owner.

Fraud Option

Assignment of prepayment

In the real estate market, advance payment is made as an advance payment, deposit or security deposit. But prepayment is also one of the most common fraud schemes. They extract it from employers in various ways, and when they receive it, they stop communicating.

Differences between advance, deposit and pledge

A deposit is the most stringent type of security payments. If the tenant gave a deposit and then changed his mind about signing the rental agreement, the deposit remains with the apartment owner. If the owner refuses the deal, he returns the deposit in double amount.

A deposit, or security deposit, is an amount that the tenant gives to the landlord in case of violations. If the tenant violates the contract or causes damage to the apartment, the security payment goes towards repaying the damage.

An advance is a payment that will be counted towards subsequent payments for the apartment if everything goes according to plan. If something went wrong and the contract could not be signed, the landlord is obliged to return the advance.

Deception scheme. The tenant calls about an advertisement for renting an apartment. They tell him that the apartment is available and come up with a reason why he needs to transfer the advance payment. The reasons may be different. The three most common:

  1. High demand. To prevent the apartment from being taken away, they ask you to send an advance payment to the card of the owner or realtor, and then come and sign an agreement.
  2. The owner has a long way to go. Therefore, the client is asked to confirm his intention to rent an apartment and transfer the prepayment to the card.
  3. Mandatory prepayment before concluding a contract. This is the owner’s condition, otherwise he will not rent out the apartment. More often they ask not for the full amount, but for an advance, 2-5 thousand rubles.

How to protect yourself. Do not transfer the advance payment. Pay money only after you look at the apartment and sign the rental agreement and the acceptance certificate. Remember that gorgeous photos of the apartment and low price- this is not a gift of fate, but a reason to check the apartment, the owner and the contract several times.

Greetings from a Peruvian

This is an original version of the prepayment scam, which began in the car market and is now found in the rental and sale of residential real estate.

Essentially, the same beautiful apartment at a reduced price and an advance payment requirement. You only communicate with the owner by mail, since he is located in another country.

They write something like this to you:

Good afternoon

I will explain the reason for my sale of the apartment at a reduced price.

I lived in Russia for a long time, but since my children live in Peru, I decided to move. I do business here, but I still have an apartment in Moscow and I want to rent it out.

To conclude an agreement, I must fly to Moscow. But I am only ready to go to a real client who is serious. Therefore, transfer me a deposit of 10,000 rubles through the Money Gram fast money transfer system or the Contact system to confirm your intentions.

Send me a receipt for payment, but cover the control number. Without it, I will not be able to receive the transfer, you can check this with the bank. This way you will be confident in my honesty and tell me the number only after concluding the contract.

I do not intend to change the terms of renting my apartment and its price. Because of these conditions, I rent the apartment at a low price. If you don't agree, don't waste my time.


Fraudsters can be from any country, but more often from Cameroon and Peru, so the message will be misspelled and a little clumsy.

The bank will confirm that it is impossible to receive money without a control number. Then you will go, for example, to Western Union and send the transfer. Take a photo of the receipt, close the code and send it to the scammer.

He will accuse you of drawing the receipt in a graphics editor and will send you a link to a fake money transfer system website. There you must enter all the data about the transfer, including the control number. A final window will appear, a screenshot of which the scammer will require. After that, he will receive the money and stop communicating.

Do not respond to such a message, but rather take a screenshot and send it to the support service of the site where you found the ad.

What documents to check before renting

You need to check three documents: a passport, a certificate of registration of rights and/or an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, and a title document - most often a purchase and sale agreement.

Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. It is necessary to verify the identity of the renters. To do this, check your passports. There is no need to check your military ID, driver's license and foreign passport, because their data is not included in other documents.

The passport data must be exactly the same as in all other documents. That is, the full name, series, number and all other data must match exactly. This will confirm that the person in the documents is the same person as in the passport and in front of you. Passport verification is the first and most important step.

Before renting an apartment, check whether the seller has a real passport. Here's what I recommend you pay attention to:

  1. No corrections, stickers, crooked fonts.
  2. There are all watermarks and imprints, fonts, as in your passport.
  3. The passport series matches the place of issue. The first two digits of the series are the area code. For example, if a passport was issued in St. Petersburg, the first two digits are 40, if in Moscow - 45. If the series starts with 40, and the passport was issued in Lipetsk, it is a fake. A list of city codes can be found on the “Your Passport” website.
  4. The condition of the passport corresponds to the date of issue. If the passport looks new, but was received three years ago, this should alert you.

Also check whether the owner's name and surname have changed. If yes, ask the seller for a certificate from the registry office of marriage or divorce or change of name.

Title documents show who owns the apartment or part of it and on what basis and who can rent it out.

The type of title document depends on how the apartment came to be owned by the owner. If privatized, the title document will be an agreement on the transfer of ownership of the apartment. If you bought it - a purchase and sale agreement, and if you received it as an inheritance - a certificate of the right to inheritance by law or by will.

If the apartment is in a new building, the title document may be an agreement on shared participation in construction. Together with him, it is necessary to check the apartment acceptance certificate if the house has already been rented out.




Certificate of state registration of property rights confirms ownership of the apartment or part thereof. There will be no certificate in two cases:

  1. If the owner registered ownership of the apartment from 1991 to 1996. In this case, it is necessary to check whether a mark on the state registration of the right is made on the title document, for example, on the purchase and sale agreement.
  2. If ownership is registered after July 15, 2016. From this date, the certificate of registration of rights was canceled and replaced with an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate.

To check the certificate of ownership, check the supporting documents that are indicated in it with the real documents. The type, number and series must match. Also check the address, floor and area of ​​the apartment.



Replaces the certificate of registration of ownership. It is needed to confirm ownership and a list of title documents, as well as check the presence of other owners. Check the data from the extract - address, supporting documents - with the title documents. Everything must match.



What else to pay attention to

Owner behavior. If he is in a hurry, nervous, threatening to rent out the apartment to others if you don’t make a decision right now, be wary. Assess his adequacy visually: look at him first of all as a person. You need to see him every month, resolve issues, perhaps ask for help, so rent an apartment from a person who is at least not disgusting to you.

Apartment rental price. There are no ideal options at a low price. A renovated and furnished apartment five minutes from the metro cannot cost a penny. There's always a reason for the price and it's probably a scam.

Documentation. Forgery of documents is an expensive procedure. Therefore, scammers often use an economical option: they forge documents themselves or lie about why they are not there. Do not rent an apartment until you see the original documents.

How much money to pay

Rental amount pay only for one month. If the owner offers to pay six months in advance, refuse.

Pledge- this is an amount that reassures the owner in case of damage to his property. For example, if a tenant breaks a window and decides to move out, the owner will take part of the money from the deposit, fix the window, and return the rest. A full refund of the deposit can be demanded from the owner only if the tenant returns the apartment in the same condition as he rented it.

The amount of the deposit is determined by the owner. There are three most common collateral schemes:

  1. deposit equal to 100% of the apartment's rental price for the month, in one payment;
  2. a deposit equal to 100% of the rental price of the apartment for a month, in two payments, that is, divided into two months;
  3. double deposit equal to 200% of the rental price of the apartment for the month, in one payment - mainly for business and elite class properties.

That is, when concluding a contract, you pay either the entire amount of the deposit or part of it as agreed with the owner.

Remember if you are going to rent a house

  1. If you are asked to come to the office and sign an agreement before showing the apartment, do not agree.
  2. Check the documents before signing the contract. Look at the owners’ passports, a certificate of registration of title or an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate and a title document, such as a purchase and sale agreement.
  3. Always enter into a rental agreement and sign the acceptance certificate for the apartment.
  4. Pay only one month's rent in advance.
  5. Pay money only when you see the apartment and the owner in person, check the documents, sign the rental agreement and the acceptance certificate. And don’t forget to indicate monthly payments on the settlement form.

We worked on the material

Author - Maria Yakovleva, editor - Elena Evstratova, production editor - Marina Safonova, photo editor - Maxim Koposov, information designer - Zhenya Sofronov, illustrator - Anton Kalashnikov, responsible - Anna Lesnykh, proofreader - Alexander Salita, layout designer - Evgenia Izotova

The need to rent a home comes with certain risks. Many people prefer to find nice apartment and rent it at long term. How to do it correctly and not be deceived, we will tell you in this article?

Useful tips to help you avoid falling for scammers

To avoid becoming a victim of scammers, it is important to follow 4 simple rules:

  1. If you are looking through an agency, then resolve all issues in the apartment you want to rent.
  2. Document the relationship only. Never pass it on cash for renting housing without drawing up and signing a contract.
  3. Do not transfer the deposit until the contract is concluded. All prepayments and advances must not be transferred to the tenant on an oral basis. Draw up an agreement, a deed of transfer, only then transfer the money and take the keys (check if they fit the lock).
  4. Before signing a rental agreement, check the documents for the apartment, checking it with the owner’s passport.
  5. Do not deal with dubious realtors. Often, fraudulent schemes are used by small firms whose representatives look like good-natured simpletons.

What types of fraud are there?

In the field of real estate turnover, there are specific tricks, both on the part of realtors and the owners themselves. Among the most popular we highlight the following:

Information Agency

They work according to a well-coordinated scheme, a group of people with excellent psychological skills.

  1. They lure a tenant.

Fraudsters place an ad at a very low price and ask the client to come to the office to conclude an agreement. After which they promise to provide either the owner’s contacts or send SMS messages with apartment options.

For example, in your city, renting a one-room apartment costs an average of 15 thousand rubles per month, but they offer it for 9 thousand rubles with very good repairs. Of course, such an ad attracts attention and you call the number. As a rule, a nice girl answers you and says that there really is such an apartment, everything is fine, come to the office.

Such companies, under any pretext, try to lure you into the office, saying come:

  • the owner will be in the office, you will talk with him, if everything is arranged, then you will go to the apartment and rent it;
  • in the office we have a contract with the owner, we represent his interests and provide the owner’s contacts, etc.

Remember! Their the main objective- lure you in, and then they will offer, persuade, and deceive you on the spot so that you sign an agreement and pay the money in advance, and then they will give you a phone number and go to the apartment.

2. They are tricked into signing an agreement and paying in advance.

Deception option No. 1. You were persuaded to come to the office, after your arrival they begin to show on their computer the apartments prepared for you to choose from. As a rule, all apartments are in good repair, with good furniture and appliances and at a very low price.

This, of course, makes me happy that there are so many options and there is plenty to choose from. On this basis, the client loses his vigilance when signing an agreement and paying for the agency’s services. This should not be done!

To dispel your doubts about the scam, they suggest calling the owner's phone number. You call the number provided, but the person who answers you is an accomplice of the scammers, he is prepared in advance, he has the same apartment base. Thinking that this is the real owner you ask, he answers you - What awaits in the apartment at such and such an address, sign the contract and pay.

As soon as you pay and arrive at the apartment, call again, but there is silence in response. When you call the agency back, they will say that they don’t know what happened, but are ready to offer other options. Having dropped a few more places, you think that now everything will end, but sad news awaits you there - the apartment has already been rented out. And this can happen 2-3 times.

In general, the essence of the scheme is that the contract states that the agency provides information services and, according to the contract, there should be no more than 3 of them. If you did not manage to rent an apartment, then this is your problem. The service has been paid for and provided.

Deception option No. 2. A new method of fraud when renting an apartment in 2019 is that the photos in the ad do not correspond to reality.

The price attracts attention, you call the ad, where they say that the apartment is available, everything matches the description and photo.

You make an appointment for an inspection and after that, after 20-30 minutes, the agent calls you back. He says that it is inconvenient for the owner to show, because often people make arrangements and do not arrive at the appointed time. To avoid this, the owner suggests meeting at the office of the real estate agency, bringing all the documents, and then going to inspect the apartment.

Confidence that these are not scammers is given by the fact that the owner will be in the office with documents for the apartment.Don't fall for this trick!

As a result, you arrive, there is actually an owner in the office with documents, he talks about the apartment, asks where you work, what you do, clarifies your solvency, thereby pushing you to trust, shows what an excellent renovation the apartment has. He can argue the low cost of rent by saying that he is flying away for a long time and even show plane tickets, assuring that it is important for him to rent out the apartment for a long time.

Then the agency employees say that they will represent the interests of the owner on exclusive terms. Therefore, we sign the agreement now, and then we will go to the apartment and sign the transfer and acceptance certificate without the owner, and hand over the keys there. Without reading, you sign the contract, exchange phone numbers with the owner, pay him for a month’s accommodation and a security deposit, and go to the apartment with a realtor. But at the address specified in the contract, the interior will be completely different from what you saw in the photographs presented earlier.

The apartment may be uninhabitable. But you signed an agreement and the one who shows you the apartment does not want to be responsible for the owner with whom you communicated at the agency.

You refuse to sign the deed, but the contract states that if you do not accept the apartment according to the transfer deed, then the money you paid to the owner will not be returned. As a result, you will be deceived for two months of accommodation.

Important! Do not transfer funds towards rent or commission for services until you actually receive the apartment according to the acceptance certificate. It is an integral part of the lease agreement.

Proving fraud is extremely difficult. Because in fact, in the office they will present you with real photos of a bad apartment.

How to check if you are a scammer? When talking before the transaction, you should say that you are ready to come and look at the apartment, but not to the office, but directly to the rental housing. If they start dissuading you by any means, then in 99% of cases you are being deceived.

If you call based on an ad and they tell you to come to the apartment where the owner and realtor will be, then this is more like the truth. But you shouldn’t relax here either; when you arrive at the specified address, be sure to check the owner’s documents:

  • certificate of ownership of the apartment - issued until 2017;
  • extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate;
  • passport.

Be sure to check the details of the apartment owner with the presented passport. Pay attention to which part of the apartment belongs to this person and its address. If everything fits, then the owner is acting legally. Only then can the contract be signed.

How to find out who owns the apartment and who is the owner? You can check by ordering an extract from the Unified State Register.

The apartment is rented out not by the owner, but by another person

You find an advertisement on the website, the price of renting an apartment is lower than the average by 3-4 thousand rubles. Call the indicated phone number, where they will tell you everything in detail, ask who will live, i.e. will gain confidence. The questions will be aimed at convincing him that you have serious intentions to rent an apartment for a long time.

After inspecting the apartment, you are ready to sign the contract. Fraudsters can act in one of the following options:

  1. You will be asked not to sign the contract, arguing that, for example, you work in structures where you cannot make a profit. This option cannot be immediately considered.
  2. They will tell you that this is a relative or friend of the owner, and offer you a photocopy of his passport, a copy of the certificate of ownership. They will offer to indicate the owner’s information in the contract, sign it, and everything will be legal. Strictly refuse the deal!

Remember! The owner's representative can rent out an apartment only with a notarized power of attorney. In other cases, he does not have such a right.

If there is no power of attorney, then there is a high probability that you will be deceived when renting out this apartment. With a notarized power of attorney, the agreement is drawn up in the name of the person who is the legal representative of the owner.

What can happen? You rent an apartment, pay a month's rent and a security deposit. But the next day the real owner appears and begins to find out on what basis you live in his apartment. He will present the originals of his documents and will have the right to kick you out of the apartment. As a result, you are left without housing and the money you paid.

Re-letting an apartment through subletting

Similar to the second option, when an apartment is found at a reduced price, you call and clarify the details. You arrive at the apartment, everything matches the photo from the ad and you are ready to sign the contract. After which the scammers say that the apartment is being rented on the basis of a sublease agreement and, as a rule, they will show it.

It is not recommended to sign a sublease agreement, because you will not be able to check the title documents for the ownership of the apartment; no one will give them the originals. They will only provide photocopies, and they are very easy to forge.

Eventually the landlord will show up and evict you.

A citizen who rents housing does not have the right to lease an apartment to others on his own behalf. Therefore, when making a transaction, pay attention to the documents provided, which indicate the owner of the premises.

Dishonest landlord

A “cunning” agreement that allows the owner to simultaneously put the apartment up for sale and receive rental income.

In this case, I liked the apartment, everything was fine in it, the owner showed me the title documents.

The owner of the apartment, knowing in advance that he was selling this apartment, removed the clause in the contract that he did not have the right to sell the apartment during the lease term. You sign an agreement, rent an apartment, live there for a month, but then the owner announces that he is putting it up for sale. At the same time, he says that you can continue to live there, but it will be sold.

As a result, people will constantly come and look at the apartment, and sometimes the owner will ask you to show it to potential buyers.

Important! It is necessary to read the contract carefully before signing it. It should contain a clause that in case of violation of the term of the contract, the lessor is obliged to return the amount of the deposit and pay compensation equal to the deposit payment. That is, the full amount for rent + compensation in the same amount.

3 more tricks to lure money:

  1. Information database of numbers. You should not agree to pay for the services of a housing selection agency that offers only an information base. The idea is that they provide the client with the contact numbers of the landlords for a relatively small fee. Then you will have to act on your own: negotiate, inspect, draw up an agreement. However, there is no guarantee that these numbers will be real and the apartments will no longer be rented out.
  2. Selling access to the client base. A relatively new way of deceiving customers. It consists of selling access to a supposedly constantly updated database of rental housing. In fact, it turns out to be a site on which old advertisements are posted.
  3. Prepayment for cell phone. The scammer gains confidence by asking many questions and in the end asks to transfer 1-2 thousand rubles to a cell phone as an advance.

How to find an apartment for rent without intermediaries from the owner

Many people prefer not to seek the help of a realtor, but to find an apartment to rent on their own. The absence of an intermediary eliminates additional expenses, but will require a little more time and effort.

You can easily find and rent an apartment from the owner yourself, because most of those offered by realtors are located in free access on well-known resources.

Detailed instructions for finding an apartment from the owner, which the realtors themselves use:


Hello to everyone who visited the website of the popular business magazine HeatherBeaver! This is the permanent author of the resource - Denis Kuderin.

The topic of the new publication is rental housing. If you want to rent an apartment, a dorm room, a mansion on the seashore or other real estate, then our article will help you do this as quickly as possible and at minimal cost.

Today you will learn:

  • How to rent a one-room apartment or room without intermediaries, so as not to be deceived?
  • Is it possible to rent an apartment for a day, hour or night?
  • How is the contract concluded if I rent an apartment daily from the owner?

An additional bonus for those who read the article to the end is an overview of the most reliable and inexpensive real estate offices that will help you solve your housing problem competently, quickly and safely.

  1. What is the best way to rent an apartment - through a real estate agency or on your own?
  2. How to find an apartment without intermediaries - 4 proven methods
    • Method 1. Via the Internet
    • Method 2. Using newspapers and magazines
    • Method 3. Through ads
    • Method 4. Among friends and acquaintances
  3. How to rent an apartment from the owner - step-by-step instruction for newbies
    • Step 1. Looking for suitable options
    • Step 2. Contact the author of the ad
    • Step 3. We arrange a meeting and inspect the property
    • Step 4. Conclude a lease agreement
    • Step 5. Record the meter readings at the time of conclusion of the contract
  4. Who can help you rent a good apartment - review of the TOP 5 real estate agencies
  5. How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers - 4 useful tips for renters
    • Tip 1. Be sure to check the availability of documents for the apartment
    • Tip 2. Cooperate with the landlord only through an agreement
    • Tip 3. Don’t pay a deposit before the transaction is completed
    • Tip 4. When collaborating with an agency, be sure to check it
  6. Conclusion

1. What is the best way to rent an apartment – ​​through a real estate agency or on your own?

Almost every adult has rented an apartment at least once in their life. Personally, I did this four times before I got my own place. Twice I rented living space on my own and twice through intermediaries. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

The main advice I can give to beginners is that if you need to rent an apartment urgently (for example, the owners ask you to move out of your previous living space within a few days), go through an agency.

No matter how many sites you crawl, how many newspapers with advertisements you read from cover to cover, companies still have a larger database, and most importantly, their information is systematized.

But if the deadlines are not tight, and you can start searching efficiently and carefully, look for housing yourself. The only condition is that you must have at least minimal experience in matters of this kind. There are a lot of scammers in the housing market, as well as those who simply want to push stale or substandard goods to dummies.

The rental process has many nuances. Only an experienced, sensible and reasonable person can take them all into account. The average tenant does not always fit this definition. Therefore, he often overpays rather than renting housing to benefit his own budget.

Example

Each property owner understands phrases like “apartment in good condition” or “apartment after renovation” in his own way.

For some, a good condition is the absence of leaks in the plumbing system and holes in the ceiling, and such little things as the lack of sockets, a faulty shower and wooden windows with cracks in the finger can not be taken into account. Some people believe that the “after repair” period lasts 5-10 years. Or vice versa, the work has just been completed, and the new residents will have to do the cleaning.

Therefore, each apartment needs to be worked out at the “telephone” stage. Otherwise, all your time will be spent exploring options that will seriously damage your faith in humanity, human reason and justice.

However, cooperation with an agency does not always guarantee top quality. Real estate offices are different. They should be chosen carefully and wisely as a future life partner. There are companies for which client satisfaction is a matter of prestige, and there are those that don’t care where and how you will live, the main thing is to get a percentage for intermediary services.

The best way to rent an apartment is to rent living space from people you have known for a long time, but this opportunity is not always available and not everyone has it.

I will voice three main criteria when choosing rental housing: comfort, safety, clear terms of the rental agreement. If you are able to get such an object without involving intermediaries, good luck.

If you doubt your abilities, look for a reliable, decent, proven realtor. Don’t smile skeptically after reading the last phrase - such specialists really exist, you just need to know where they live.

Read a detailed article on the topic of choosing an intermediary - “Real Estate Agency”.

The table presents the main pros and cons of housing search methods in a visual form:

A few words about short-term rentals. Today at major cities There are practically no aunties and grandmothers offering inexpensive housing at train stations to visitors and out-of-towners. This niche has been completely occupied by real estate offices.

True, there is a way for the advanced - short-term rental of private apartments via the Internet. On a special website you book accommodation in advance for a specified period, pay a fee and arrive at the place at the appointed time. The apartment can be rented for weeks, days, hours.

Sometimes such issues are dealt with by professional private realtors. You can easily find the specialist you need online. Just first check the qualifications of this person through all possible channels.

2. How to find an apartment without intermediaries - 4 proven methods

If you have chosen the path of the “lone gunman” and do not need helpers, first decide how you will search for the object you need.

There are 4 proven methods - I will describe each of them in detail.

Method 1. Via the Internet

Almost everyone today has a computer or smartphone with Internet access. The network has a sufficient number of free resources on which everyone can publish their advertisements for the sale, purchase and rental of housing of any size, type and price category.

You need to study the offers and choose the appropriate options. True, it is necessary first to separate the “wheat from the chaff” - to exclude advertisements from intermediaries.

To do this, after selecting an offer, use the option “other apartments of this user.” If the system gives you another 10-20 options, it means that you are dealing with a typical intermediary.

Other methods to distinguish the intermediary from the owner:

  1. Owners usually list in detail the requirements for tenants - how many people and what nationalities can live in the apartment, whether they can have children or pets. Agents are not interested in such nuances - the main thing for them is to quickly rent out housing to anyone.
  2. Owners prefer to rent out apartments for a long term.
  3. The owners know exactly what condition their apartments are in, where the windows in the kitchen face, how long ago the renovation was done, and the names of the neighbors on the site.
  4. When you first call, agents are usually interested in your personal information - they need to expand their client base.

More details about the principles of work of intermediaries can be found in the article “Real estate services”.

Method 2. Using newspapers and magazines

Not everyone has switched to digital format yet, but paper newspapers and magazines are still popular among certain categories of the population. Older or conservative homeowners often advertise in paper newspapers and newsletters.

Method 3. Through ads

If you are looking for housing in a certain area or even in a specific house, it is worth wandering around and reading advertisements at special stands, stops, or even directly at the entrances. This method takes a lot of time, but sometimes it helps to find really inexpensive housing in the area you are interested in.

Method 4. Among friends and acquaintances

A good option for those who have many friends and acquaintances. Renting living space from those with whom you are constantly in contact is a nice thing. I myself rented an apartment from friends, and it was easy, pleasant and cheap. But I want to warn you – you shouldn’t abuse your friendliness: pay on time and monitor the condition of your home.

3. How to rent an apartment from the owner - step-by-step instructions for beginners

And now - step by step guide for those who have never rented a home on their own in their life or have forgotten how to do it.

Step 1. Looking for suitable options

I talked about how and where to look above. Here I would like to note that potential tenants need to decide in advance which apartment and in which areas of the city they would like to live, and look for offers according to the intended parameters. This will reduce the number of unnecessary calls and search time.

Step 2. Contact the author of the ad

In a telephone conversation, immediately clarify important points, if they were not in the text of the ad: what is the condition of the housing, is there internet, who will pay for utilities, what furniture and equipment is in the apartment, what kind of tenants do the owners want to find, for how long will it be rented out? living space

It’s okay if you seem like a bore to the owner - the more details are clarified during the telephone conversation, the better. It is also advisable to immediately find out whether the person who is talking to you has documents confirming ownership.

Step 3. We arrange a meeting and inspect the property

Inspecting the apartment is the most important stage of the process. Don’t be shy - look into all corners and ask questions: you live here, and you pay for it.

Check how the plumbing works - you can even ask permission to use the toilet and find out if the toilet is working properly.

Check if the kitchen stove, refrigerator and other appliances are working. If they are faulty, immediately indicate this fact to the owner, or better yet, include it in the lease agreement.

Step 4. Conclude a lease agreement

The culmination of the procedure. Surprisingly great amount adults sign the lease document without reading. This is a fundamentally wrong position. It is imperative to read the agreement – ​​and not diagonally, but point by point. Ideally, the contract should be shown to a qualified lawyer, but this payable service, and not all tenants have extra money.

Therefore, I will tell you what you should pay attention to in the document:

  • items relating to prepayment, deposit and payment - how much, on what date, to whom, in what way;
  • clauses regarding late rent - insist that you will be responsible for late payment only if it was your fault;
  • points regarding the responsibilities of the parties - it is always useful to know who is responsible for what;
  • items regarding living conditions;
  • clauses on payment of utilities;
  • points about early termination agreement.

Negotiate in advance the procedure for increasing the rent if you are renting for a long time. For example, the owner has the right to increase the rent no more than once a year and by no more than 10%.

Even if you rent an apartment from the owner for a few days, an agreement is needed - to pay exactly as much as you intend and not be responsible for what you should not be responsible for.

Read about the specific features of renting luxury housing in the relevant publication.

Step 5. Record the meter readings at the time of conclusion of the contract

Be sure to record the electricity and water meter readings at the time of signing the contract. You don’t want to pay off the debts of past tenants, do you?

If there is a utility debt, the contract must indicate the amount that the owner undertakes to pay out of his own pocket.

If some points are unclear to you, you should clarify them in advance. To do this, take advantage of free legal consultations on the website Pravoved.ru. Thousands of professional lawyers, including specialists in housing issues, cooperate with this resource.

You can contact them directly through the website or at the numbers listed below.

You can get qualified legal support right now - the Pravoved.ru resource operates around the clock. To order services that go beyond the scope of consultation, choose paid legal assistance from the company’s specialists.

If you do not want to rent, but rather quickly sell an apartment, it is useful for you to read the article “Repurchase of real estate”.

4. Who can help you rent a good apartment - review of the TOP 5 real estate agencies

If you don’t have time to search on your own, professional real estate agents will do it for you.

We have selected the five best real estate companies with an impeccable reputation and favorable terms of cooperation.

The Best-Real Estate group of companies has been operating in the housing market since 1992. This is one of the leaders among real estate agencies in the capital. The company has branches in dozens of cities in the Russian Federation and is engaged in any real estate transactions, including renting out apartments to individuals for any period of time.

The company employs only experienced agents with big amount successfully closed transactions. Our specialists will help you quickly find the right accommodation on your terms. The agency's database contains hundreds of options in all areas of Moscow or the city in which you live.

The Moscow City Real Estate Service has 20 years of experience in the housing market. This is a universal agency that works with all types of real estate and provides qualified intermediary services in any housing transactions.

Do you want to rent an apartment for a day, six months, 5 years? At your service are free consultations, quick selection of current options, professional preparation of a lease agreement, and legal support of the transaction at all stages.

The Miel holding was founded in 1990. It is the oldest real estate company in Russia. The organization’s employees will help you rent, buy and sell living space in Moscow and other cities of the Russian Federation on the most favorable terms for the client. The company has the largest real estate base in the country and 120 offices in the capital alone.

Agents will help you rent an apartment in the city, suburb, or in any area. Each transaction is reviewed by the company's internal legal department. In the office database, in addition to ordinary apartments, luxury housing, cottages, VIP apartments.

4) Inkom

The largest real estate company in the Russian Federation with more than a quarter of a century of experience. Leader of the Moscow real estate market. In addition to intermediary services, it provides assistance in expert assessment of properties and mortgage lending. The staff consists of exclusively professional agents, each of whom specializes in a specific area of ​​real estate services.

Those wishing to rent housing through Inkom do not have to worry about fraud or pitfalls: the company works only with “clean” properties and closely monitors the legal integrity of the rental agreement.

The basic principle of the organization is responsibility to each client and full satisfaction of his requests. In its activities, the company uses the most current methods and technologies. Each Alma employee is well versed in current trends in the real estate market and has more than one successfully closed transaction to his credit.

Company advantages:

  • extensive database of objects;
  • mandatory consideration of the interests and wishes of clients;
  • support of transactions at all stages;
  • instant acceptance of the application;
  • guarantee of results.

The site contains detailed material about the methods and principles of real estate agencies.

5. How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers - 4 useful tips for renters

It doesn’t matter which way you look for an apartment - on your own or with an intermediary - you are not immune from deception. There is a lot of money in the housing sector, which means there are more than enough people who want to make money at someone else’s expense.

Some useful tips those who care about their own financial security.

Tip 1. Be sure to check the availability of documents for the apartment

The advice is obvious, but for some reason many people neglect it.

And then it turns out that the person who rented your apartment and received money for it is not the owner of the apartment at all, but his second cousin. Or a complete stranger who somehow gained access to the object.

Tip 2. Cooperate with the landlord only through an agreement

Any real estate transactions are documented. Even if you rent housing for just a week or a day, this must be recorded in an official document.

If the agent or apartment owner delays drawing up the contract, citing vague reasons, look for another landlord.

No contract - no transaction, prepayment, advance payment and depositing funds into someone else's deposit. No verbal agreements, no “let’s pay now and sign next week.”

The keys must be handed over to you directly at the site. At the same time, immediately check whether these keys fit the locks.

Tip 4. When collaborating with an agency, be sure to check it

The nicest looking person - even if it's a pretty young girl who smiles at every word you say - may turn out to be a fraud.

If you work with an agent, be sure to check him out - call the office he represents and ask directly if they have such and such an employee on their staff. It's better to be safe than to become a victim of a scam.

To consolidate the material, watch a short video on the topic of the article.

6. Conclusion

Let's summarize. Renting an apartment is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. To rent a property on favorable conditions, you need to study all the nuances and features of the procedure in advance. And if you don’t have the experience, time, or desire to do this yourself, hire an experienced and reliable agent.

The team of our magazine wishes our readers success in any real estate transactions! We would be grateful if you rate and comment on this article. See you again!

The concept of renting residential premises. Renting housing is considered to be the case when one person is ready to live for a certain fee in the apartment of another person who is the full owner (Article 671 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The parties in this case are called:

  • The landlord is the owner of the rented apartment (who the landlord or lessor is, as well as his rights and obligations are described in).
  • Tenant – a person renting an apartment.

By law, renting an apartment must be registered with the tax service.. According to Article 674 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, if it is concluded on short term(less than one year), then its registration with the tax service is not necessary (short-term rental agreements are described in). But if the contract is long-term, then it must be submitted for registration within one month from the date of signing.

Article 674 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Residential tenancy agreement form

  1. The rental agreement for residential premises is concluded in writing.
  2. A restriction (encumbrance) on the right of ownership of residential premises arising on the basis of a lease agreement for such residential premises concluded for a period of at least a year is subject to state registration in the manner established by the law on registration of rights to real estate and transactions with it.

Is it worth filming?

Usually housing is rented when hopeless situations arise.

  1. Most often, such situations are those when there is no home of one’s own or there is one, but the person does not want to live with other people.
  2. Or when a student moves to a foreign city, but there is no hostel there.
  3. Or when the children grew up and decided to move away from their parents.

It is worth renting an apartment if a person is aware that he will not only have to live in this place, but also pay for rent and, possibly, public utilities.

You need to be prepared that in case of the slightest delay, you will be asked to move out immediately.

What is better: renting a home or taking out a mortgage?

What is more profitable to rent an apartment or take out a mortgage?:

  • On the one hand, it is better to take out a mortgage loan and even if you pay money, and not a small one, then at least for housing, the rightful owner of which you will later become! The mortgage amount will not be small, but in the end you will be left with an apartment.
  • On the other hand, taking out a mortgage loan automatically obliges you to be more attentive and careful with your work, and if any unforeseen situations arise related to the apartment, you as the owner will have to deal with it.

Therefore, many people want to avoid a large burden of responsibility, both moral and financial, by choosing to rent an apartment for many years. But in this case, it is worth remembering that you are paying a stranger, and after everything you will be left with nothing.

At what age can you become a renter?

At what age can you rent an apartment? The employer has the right to enter into contracts strictly from the age of eighteen. Of course, there are cases when a citizen officially assumes full legal capacity until adulthood.

Usually the exception is marriage before the age of eighteen. In this case, the teenager can be fully capable and enter into any contracts (Article 21 of the Civil Code).

Article 21 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Citizen's capacity

  1. The ability of a citizen, through his actions, to acquire and exercise civil rights, to create civil responsibilities for himself and to fulfill them (civil capacity) arises in full with the onset of adulthood, that is, upon reaching the age of eighteen.
  2. In cases where the law allows marriage before the age of eighteen, a citizen under eighteen years of age acquires full legal capacity from the time of marriage.

    The legal capacity acquired as a result of marriage is retained in full even in the event of divorce before reaching the age of eighteen.

    If a marriage is declared invalid, the court may decide that the minor spouse loses full legal capacity from the moment determined by the court.

detailed instructions

How to find your angle that suits you?

What should you pay attention to?

What you need to know when renting an apartment and what to pay attention to:

  • Pay attention to why the previous tenants moved out of the apartment. Perhaps they simply found a better option or bought their own home, but it may happen that the landlord is a terrible brawler!
  • Status of utility payments. Large debts can lead to power outages.
  • On the condition of electrical appliances and household appliances if it is available in the apartment. You need to check it together with the owner. Since landlords often like to blame minor repairs on the tenants.
  • Local area and view from the window. If there is a bright nightclub sign or a lantern shining opposite the window, most likely you will feel a little uneasy living in the spotlight.

You can fix the problem with thick curtains, but you are unlikely to be able to sleep with an open window near a nightclub.

The procedure for mandatory inspection when renting housing

What should you check when renting an apartment? Be sure to check at the accommodation:

  1. The presence of traces of chalk on the floor, baseboards, behind pipes may indicate living creatures such as cockroaches, ants, woodlice, bedbugs and others.
  2. If there is an automatic air freshener at the entrance to the apartment, you should turn it off and listen to the smells of the apartment. It happens that the owners try to mask the smell of dampness or sewage.
  3. The presence of cracks in frames and doors if ordinary wooden windows or poorly installed double-glazed windows are installed. In winter, all the heat will escape through these cracks, causing the apartment to become draughty.
  4. In the case where the apartment is corner, check the joints between the walls, they must be dry. Otherwise, the heat will also blow out, and in winter this corner will also get wet because it does not dry out.
  5. Water pressure. It happens that in old houses, the upper floors do not have enough good pressure.

How to control the owner?

How to check the owner of the apartment? In order to establish whether this citizen is really the rightful owner of the apartment that you are going to rent, you need to ask him to provide the relevant documents. What to do with these papers:

  1. These papers must indicate on the basis of which the person became the owner of the apartment (legal establishing documents are a purchase and sale agreement, a gift agreement, a court decision, a will, and so on).
  2. Check the passport and compare the information on the title deed. All information from the passport number and series to registration must be identical.
  3. Ask to provide ownership of the property or an extract from the Unified State Register.

Important! Everything needs to be checked more carefully when you are looking for an apartment on your own, as there are many scammers.

It is much safer to contact a trusted real estate agency, where lawyers will check the authenticity and correctness of the documents.

What are the essential questions to ask?

What questions to ask when renting an apartment:

  • cost of rent;
  • in what time frame it is carried out;
  • conditions of the apartment (if the conversation is on the phone);
  • neighbors surrounding the apartment;
  • state of repair;
  • present furniture and household appliances;
  • apartment delivery deadline.

All other questions are asked when inspecting the apartment, for example, why the former tenants moved out.

And find out how many owners the apartment has. If there is not one owner, but several, then ask if other owners are ready to rent out the apartment. Ask questions about how long in advance you should notify the owner of the apartment about your decision to move out of his living space.

Will he visit the apartment monthly and inspect it, is it possible to delay payment for several days due to certain circumstances, and is the landlord ready to make some concessions on payment (for example, agree on a deferred payment under certain life circumstances).

Important! If the landlord speaks unflatteringly about former tenants and behaves rudely and arrogantly with every question, then such a person can subsequently slander you (even if all the requirements for maintaining and paying for the apartment have been met) when you move out of his apartment!

Legal regulation of rental of residential premises between individuals

The rental of an apartment must be in writing only. This will guarantee that the landlord will not rent it out to you or other third parties.

And also to ensure serious intentions on the part of the tenant about the intention to rent this living space. When renting an apartment, a contract is drawn up in writing, it stipulates how to behave in certain situations, for example, if there is a flood or fire or other circumstances.

If the agreement between the parties occurs orally, it is possible that misunderstandings may arise or that someone simply forgot about something or another.

Is it possible to do without a contract?

It is possible to rent an apartment without a contract, but it is not advisable, since each party will not know their rights and obligations, for example, if the contract states that the owner of the apartment has the right to inspect the apartment no more than once a month, then this will be the case.

And with a verbal agreement, you can say one thing, but in reality it will turn out that he will disturb the employer with his presence on a weekly basis.

Features of housing with and without renovation

So, rental apartments without renovation are usually in new buildings where there is only rough finishing. When inspecting such real estate, you should feel free to ask for a discount for living conditions if the amount is the same as for apartments being renovated.

Usually, owners who want to make money out of nothing don’t agree at first, but after renting out the apartment drags on for months, they willingly make concessions.

When when an apartment requires repairs, you can agree to rent it to pay for the repairs. At the same time, discuss what kind of repairs are required from him and when they will be completed and the rent will resume as usual.

Provided that during the repair work the tenant will also pay for all utilities. Most often, landlords agree to such deals because they can independently make repairs in an apartment where the owner himself does not live for an expensive and long time, but here there is free labor who pays for utilities and makes repairs.

All these aspects should also be written down in the contract from the start of the repair work to its completion and the approximate amount spent, with subsequent sales receipts attached.

With kids

When renting an apartment with small children, it is worthwhile to include clauses in the contract about whether the tenant will compensate for damage to wallpaper or flooring (for example, if the children drew or stuck plasticine, after removing which greasy stains remained).

In any case, the lessor must take into account that renting out an apartment to a family with children, renovations in the apartment may be ruined. Will he be lenient when this factor is discovered or will he ask for compensation for the damage caused?

As for adult children, as a rule, little attention is paid to this, since they can give an account of their actions.

Choosing an agency

When choosing the agency itself, you need to pay attention to both the seriousness of the company and the housing it offers. How to choose agents:

  1. Usually, in order to rent an apartment through an agency, you must first draw up an agreement on the provision of services for the selection of real estate with a realtor, indicate in it the preferences and wishes of the tenant, as well as the amount and period of selection.
  2. After this, the agent selects apartments that suit you and after you agree to rent this or that living space, payment for the agency’s services is given.
  3. Next, a rental agreement is concluded. If the company that selects housing is official, then there will be no difficulties.

As a rule, serious companies are engaged not only in the selection of housing for rent, but also in sales, as well as other services related to real estate.

Key points

The main key points when renting an apartment:

  • The amount of rent, who pays for utilities, payment terms (read about the procedure for paying for an apartment under a lease agreement, and how to document rent issues and draw up a payment schedule is described).
  • Drawing up a rental agreement.
  • Availability and condition of household appliances and furniture.
  • The general condition of the apartment and the house as a whole.
  • Surrounded by neighbors.
  • Distance of the area from the metro and/or city center.
  • Presence or absence developed infrastructure(shops, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, etc.).
  • Availability of connected utilities (autonomous or central heating, hot water, cold water, sewerage, Internet, television, home telephone).
  • Is it possible to rent an apartment with animals/children?

Video on the topic

You can also watch this video on how to rent an apartment correctly:

Conclusion

If essential conditions are met, you can rent housing with comfort for yourself and the owners of the apartment, be calm about your future well-being and not be afraid to come to a house where things are exposed to the street.

Most people cannot afford to buy an apartment, so they are forced to rent. Most often, such people try to find an acceptable apartment for a long time. But there are cases when the owner or realtor-intermediary are unscrupulous landlords. Therefore, the question arises - how to rent an apartment correctly so as not to be deceived?

Finding an apartment through an intermediary - a realtor

Many of those who are looking for an apartment for a long time try to find suitable housing through a real estate agency. Such people are most often advised to turn to companies that have been in the real estate market for a long time and have a positive reputation.

According to the norms of a correctly drawn up contract, the real estate company undertakes the following obligations:

  • search for real estate that meets all customer requirements;
  • agreeing with the owner of the apartment you like on the date and time of inspection of the residential premises and other controversial issues;
  • organizes a joint visit with the customer to the selected apartment;
  • conducts the necessary negotiations if the customer is satisfied with the chosen apartment, and the owner is satisfied with the tenant;
  • checks the documents for the apartment, which confirm the right to rent out housing and the absence of circumstances preventing this;
  • concludes a rental agreement for residential premises and draws up an act of acceptance and transfer of the specified apartment.

For their services, agencies charge one hundred percent of the monthly rent.

Types of rental fraud

One of the most common types of fraud in the housing rental industry is the substitution of apartment photographs. If housing, which has good repairs and expensive equipment, is rented out at a low price, such offers should be treated with caution.

Fraudsters most often take photographs of luxury apartments from the Internet. Such scammers often state before the showing that this apartment has just been rented out, but the owner has another one that is a little worse in terms of repairs and interior items.

You can check the location of a photo using the Images service in Google.

Another popular type of fraud is renting out an apartment to several tenants. With rare exceptions, the lease agreement with the tenant does not allow subletting of housing. This rule is often violated if the scammers who rented the apartment rent it out again. To avoid such problems, it is necessary to require from the person who rents out the residential premises documents confirming his ownership.

You can also often find cases where owners take money to view an apartment. You should know that this service is not and cannot be paid by definition.

If the owner demands money for viewing, then he is either a fraudster or an owner who does not intend to rent out this property.

The next type of fraudulent activity is renting out an apartment at a non-existent address. Often, not only future tenants, but also realtors fall for this trick. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully check all data related to the location of housing.

If an error is not noticed in the documents, the realtor’s services will already be paid for by the tenant, and he will not have an apartment. Even if the tenant notices the mistake after payment, he can terminate the contract with the realtor on his own or sue the agency for compensation for material damage caused to the customer.

Another type of fraud (on the part of realtors) is, after receiving payment, to provide the client with not full support for the process of renting a home, but only the telephone numbers of potential owners.

Or realtors may offer to pay money for providing a daily updated database of rental apartments. This database, of course, is not updated. It contains only old unrented apartments or already rented premises.

Finding an apartment on your own

At independent search There are many more risks in housing, but if you approach the issue correctly, many risks can be eliminated. Before choosing the apartment you like, you should carefully read all the advertisements you are interested in, study the photographs and descriptions. You will also have to spend time visiting all the apartments you like.

When visiting an apartment, you must immediately ask the owner for all the necessary documents:

  • passport;
  • documents confirming the transfer of the right to the apartment to the owner (donation or sale agreement, certificate of inheritance, etc.);
  • certificate of ownership of the apartment.

If the rental relationship is carried out through the owner’s representative, it is also necessary to request his power of attorney (notarized copy) and passport for verification.

After checking all the papers, you need to make sure that there are no debts on utility bills by studying the receipts for the apartment. It is best to carry out all of these actions immediately before viewing the property. Otherwise, if the potential tenant really likes the apartment, he may not notice if something in the papers is not in order.

The next thing to check is the presence of other owners and their written consent to conclude a lease agreement. If one of the owners is a child over thirteen years of age, his opinion is also taken into account.

If the premises are rented in a communal apartment, all neighbors living there must give consent.

Drawing up a lease agreement

The best way to avoid conflict situations is to draw up a legally competent contract. To do this, it is necessary that the document contains the following points:

  1. Essential conditions for signing the contract.
  2. Housing rental period.
  3. Monthly amount rental payments and their frequency.
  4. Reasons for revising the payment for an apartment (increasing tariffs, carrying out repairs by the owner, and so on).
  5. An indication of the person who pays utility bills.
  6. List of persons living with the employer.
  7. Conditions for unilateral termination of the lease agreement.
  8. Conditions, frequency and procedure for control checks of the condition of the apartment by the owner.
  9. An appendix containing an inventory of all property in the apartment.
  10. An act of acceptance and transfer of housing indicating the condition of plumbing, furniture and other property located in the apartment.
  11. Conditions for financial compensation by the tenant in the event of loss, damage or destruction of property specified in the inventory.

Since in most cases, owners pay for utilities themselves, it is best to separately stipulate in the contract the procedure for paying for telephone and Internet. This will protect both parties from conflict situations if the tenant makes calls to other cities or countries from a landline phone and exceeds the traffic restrictions on Internet use.

If the tenant wants to make repairs in the apartment or install cable TV/Internet, this must be discussed with the owner in advance.

Subject to compliance with all legal requirements and careful study and preparation necessary documents, you can minimize the possible risks associated with renting housing.

 

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