Hi, I'm currently hunting for apartments in SF. I found a place that I like in craigslist, and the property manager said that the viewing is available three weeks from now because someone is already staying, but if I pay the security deposit of $2000, I can get the priority against the other competitors. He said that it's refundable deposit, so upon viewing, if I don't like the place, he will just refund it. He sent me some contract document to fill out, but I'm too nervous to send the money. Does this happen if the place is very popular? I told him that I’d rather risk losing the place until seeing the house before sending any money, and on the day that the viewing was available, he said that the unit is rented out for a short term of one month, and the next viewing date is a month later. I wonder if I should send the money to secure the place if I really want the place. Have you heard of such practice?
Never send the money before you see the place. Never.
Ah okay, that’s what I thought...
Scam 99%
He sent me the rental agreement form to fill out, but not sure how legally-binding this form is.
There are a shit ton of rent scammers on SF Bay Craigslist. Never ever do anything before seeing the place
If someone is already staying there, then usually what happens, is the tenant gets 24-48-72 hours notice that there will be a visitor to inspect the property, and you go and see the place in one, two or three days time.
Sounds highly suspicious. The accepted practice is to post a fee for blocking an apartment while you are still shopping around or your background check gets processed. But even at luxury condos (e.g. Nema in downtown SF), it's to the tune of a few hundred bucks.
There's no place and you'd never get that money back. Sincerely a landlord.
It screams SCAM. Also, security deposit should be put in a joint account.
SCAM
Sounds like a scam