It seems to many that the search for housing is the most time-consuming, and therefore the most significant stage. But formalities play a much larger role in the life of a happy tenant. Real estate transactions are an area of activity for which usually boring and excessive bureaucracy is mandatory and life-saving. A letter is less, a number is more, and you are no longer a happy tenant, but a deceived tenant without housing. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of similar cases on the market. Premium real estate agency THE Capital Through our tireless work, we strive to ensure that our clients avoid such adversity. That is why we have prepared our new material for you, in which experts will share their wisdom and talk about how to expose a scammer.
Documents, documents and more documents!
We believe that you have already guessed where it all begins, and what we urge you to focus on when looking for rental property on your own. Many scammers rely on low awareness and simple inattention of citizens. It is worth recognizing that this approach works because a person who does not have sufficient knowledge about the real estate market rarely shows the desire to immerse himself in studying it headlong to conclude just one transaction. Such a desire to save time often runs into the equally strong desire of an unreliable landlord to get money faster and disappear from your life forever.
If, at your own peril and risk, you still decide to rely on yourself, first of all ask for documents for the apartment. To confirm eligibility of property you have every right to study:
- certificate of ownership
- extract from the unified real estate register
- purchase and sale agreement or any other document confirming the origin of real estate (donation, inheritance, exchange, etc.)
Of course, the owner’s documents also need to be reviewed to ensure their authenticity and that the data in the passport matches that indicated in other sources.
Why all this extra hassle? When reviewing documentation, you may discover that:
- documents are incorrectly completed
- housing is on credit and in case of non-payment no one will consider temporary residents
- the property belongs to completely different people
Even if everything is in order, a piece of real estate may be in shared ownership and jointly acquired. In this case, written and notarized confirmation may be required that the second party has no claims and allows various operations to be carried out with the real estate, including its transfer for temporary use to third parties, that is, leasing.
🚨 An alarm bell that raises suspicions may be that the price is too low. Of course, there are also cases when the owner urgently needs money, so he is ready to lose a little in its quantity. But this is rather an exception to the rule, so such advertisements should be treated with special caution.
The rental agreement is a guarantee of your safety
Article 811 of the Civil Code of Ukraine clearly states that the conclusion of a lease agreement is mandatory. Although the document does not require notarization, it is still a valid way to protect yourself, so we do not advise you to neglect this important step, which many consider a meaningless formality. Make sure that the contract clearly states:
- names and addresses of the parties, as well as their passport details
- duration of the contract, dates of its conclusion and expiration
- conditions for contract extension and early termination
- the amount of monthly rent, the procedure and date of its transfer to the owner of the property, as well as the possibility of its increase or decrease during the lease
- description of the subject of the contract - room, apartment or house
- the amount of the security deposit or advance payment, as well as the conditions for their return
💡 Receipt of money must be confirmed not by a verbal agreement, but in a special act of transfer of rent, if it is made upon meeting and in cash. If you use a non-cash method, save your receipts. Such precautions will allow you to avoid misunderstandings and resolve controversial situations if they arise.
A security deposit or prepayment is common practice. Just as you worry about contacting a stranger to rent a home, the owner worries about the safety of his property when he places it in the hands of a little-known person. Typically, the deposit is equal to one month's rent. If we are talking about tenant with a pet, the amount may be slightly increased, since the animal is capable of causing significant damage to expensive furniture, carpeting and textile trim.
In order to clearly determine the damage you have caused or the lack thereof, it is worth attaching to lease agreement act of acceptance and transfer of the apartment. It indicates an exact list of equipment, furniture and utensils that you receive, and also records faults and damage that appeared in the house before you. Natural wear and tear that occurs with prolonged use is normal, so you should not worry about it. But if it was your fault that a mirror was broken or the dog managed to chew through a table leg, you will have to accept monetary compensation.
We want to end with one simple piece of advice that will save your nerves from conflicts and your wallet from scammers - do not refuse the help of experts. We work to ensure that your path to your dream property is simple and safe, so there is no need to wade through thorns if a straight road has already been paved.
