Watch out for scammers

It's been a bizarre day on the landlord front.  You get them from time to time. It reminds your that landlording is about life in the raw and that you must always keep your wits about you.

Tenant change of plan

One of my tenants was due to move out by the end of this month.  Then a shock phone call asking whether he could stay because his plans of moving in with his ex has fallen through.  "Yeh ok" (the tenant C has been a reliable tenant so why would I not want him to stay).

Prospective tenant (scammer) getting desperate

Then within an hour of the existing tenant phoning me a prospective tenant phones me telling me that he was moving out of his previous place & that he'd spoken to the existing tenant and swears blind that he was still moving out ( subsequent call confirms that this was not the case).  So the prospective tenant expected to move in:

• without been referenced
• without responding to my requests to supply his bank statements
• & then giving me a bear faced lie
• without a guarantor agreement

Clearly this tenant thought he was going to try and 'bounce' me into entering into a tenancy agreement & then abuse their legal status.  So landlords ...watch out for scammers and don't be forced into signing a tenancy with a tenant you really don't won't.  Stand your ground and realise you are better off having your property empty for a few weeks rather than ending up with somebody who will make your whole landlording experience a nightmare.

Landlord insurance - tenant guarantee insurance - legal protection