From beach trips and longer days to more time with family and friends, there are so many reasons to look forward to summer. However, scammers have also been waiting for the season to fool more people and earn extra bucks with summer rental scams.<\/p>\n
In this article, we\u2019ll discuss how popular it is to rent houses<\/a> during summer, what the types of summer rental scams are, and how you can avoid them. Read on to enjoy your summer vacation without getting interrupted by scammers!<\/p>\n With people stuck in their own houses<\/a> for so long because of the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>, more individuals are becoming desperate to go out and enjoy the summer heat. In fact, short-term rentals increased by 66% recently. Many prefer private vacation rentals over hotels, so they can cook their own food, maintain minimal contact with other people, and avoid contracting the virus.<\/p>\n Now that there are fewer COVID-19 restrictions<\/a>, people are also getting more interested in renting houses<\/a> during summer. However, as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) emphasized, remain cautious when booking these summer rentals.<\/p>\n Before clicking on that book button, make sure that you know the different types of rental scams to help you identify whether someone is just trying to scam you instead of giving you a memorable summer vacation.<\/p>\n One of the most common summer rental scams is advertising fake or nonexistent properties. In a BBB study<\/a>, more than five million customers lost money because of fake listings with non-existent rentals. Scammers<\/a> simply copy the photos and descriptions of real sites and add their own contact details.<\/p>\n They usually offer vacation rentals at significantly low rates to catch your interest. But, once you make the payment, they immediately disappear, and you end up not having a place to stay while being broke.<\/p>\n Bait-and-switch scams are also prevalent. This means that the vacation rental advertised is not the one you\u2019ve agreed to rent. Scammers<\/a> may send you images of the property, but when the agreed date is near, they will apply last-minute changes.<\/p>\n For instance, they will tell you that the place is no longer available, or that there\u2019s a plumbing issue, so they\u2019ll give you some alternatives. Then, you\u2019ll end up staying in a substandard vacation rental.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pexels-quang-nguyen-vinh-2476632-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n Some scammers also advertise specific amenities even if the property doesn\u2019t have them. They do this to attract more renters and gain higher profits.<\/p>\n These scam artists<\/a> will trick you into signing the contract without noticing that the amenities promised are not included. That is why you should read everything carefully before signing an agreement.<\/p>\n While Airbnb<\/a> is one of the go-to platforms for summer rentals, scammers still use it to trick people. For instance, they will tell you that you can get the space at a lower price if you deal with them directly, instead of through Airbnb. Some areas tax Airbnb rentals, so avoiding these taxes can reduce the costs. Then, they will ask you to pay through MoneyGram or Western Union.<\/p>\n Scam artists will also tell you that their listing has Airbnb protection while using the company\u2019s logo. You may even find sites that look exactly the same as Airbnb. That is why you should do sufficient research first to know whether they are legit or just a scam.<\/p>\n Avoid summer rental scams by executing the following steps:<\/p>\nShort Term Rentals Have Increased by 66%<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pexels-rex-whiticker-3797503-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n
Types of Summer Rental Scams<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pexels-jennifer-murray-1205700-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n
Non-Existent Summer Rentals<\/h3>\n
Bait-and-Switch Scams<\/h3>\n
Missing Amenities<\/h3>\n
Airbnb Scams<\/h3>\n
How To Avoid Summer Rental Scams<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pexels-salma-smida-1375384-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n
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Stop Summer Rental Scams With Social Catfish<\/h2>\n