Colorado Springs is an extremely competitive rental market. I’ve been tracking this specific aspect of the market for about 18 months now and it has only increased in it’s intensity.
As a consumer advocate and agent, I get a lot of requests for validation of listings, etc., as there are a LOT of scams out there, too.
What’s a tenant to do?
First and foremost, be aware of the market value of rentals here. A 3 bedroom, 2 bath home will rent for, on average, $1100. If you find one on Craigslist for $900 or less, be VERY cautious. When you engage the landlord, if they tell you they are out of town on a medical service mission to another country, or attending the needs of royal family in England (someone tried that one, for real), chances are it’s a scam. Actually, let’s call a potato a potato — that’s a scam.
How can you check a listing? If the ad is using photos marked “RSC” followed by a year (e.g., “RSC 2011, RSC 2014), those photos were pulled from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) agents use. While some homes are listed for both sale and rent at the same time, it’s unlikely an authorized representative took the photos, uploaded them to MLS, saved them after the MLS post processed, then reposted them to a third site.
You can also check the landlord’s name against the El Paso County Assessor’s site. If “Adam Smith” is telling you he owns the home at 200 Gerber Rd, run the address through that site and it will return the owner of public record.
You can also check PPAR.com or Realtor.com to see if the home is currently for sale. If it is listed for sale, the list agent will know if the seller is renting it out as well.
Some other indicators include things like mismatched email addresses and names. My email is robthompsonrealtor@gmail.com — if I’m corresponding from robtomsonagent@gmail.com, braddpitt@gmail.com or adamsmithreallyimanagent@gmail.com, there’s likely a problem.
Additionally, if they want you to make a deposit ahead of signing a lease or viewing the property, that’s an indicator of trouble or fraud as well.
if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Colorado Springs or Denver area, call Rob at 719-440-6626!