When going on a trip or business trip, or organizing a business or romantic meeting, people prefer to rent a cozy apartment for daily rent instead of staying in a hotel. At your disposal is not a hotel room, but an entire apartment with homely furnishings and complete privacy for the same price.
However, those who want to temporarily live in cozy apartments should be careful when searching and renting. Here, inexperienced tenants face pitfalls and the risk of being deceived.
We are looking for an apartment for a day on our own
Daily apartments are a common type of temporary housing. You can find accommodation for a day on your own – via the Internet. Use these online resources to quickly rent an apartment that meets your needs:
- Booking;
- websites where landlords offer to rent apartments (for example, Sutochno.Ru, Nochuem.Ru, Airbnb);
- ad sites (for example, Avito), communities in social networks. networks.
If you are looking for where to rent an apartment for a day for the first time, avoid little-known sites and private advertisements - there is a risk of encountering scammers or getting something that is far from what you expected.
Use well-known, popular and reliable resources. Such sites work with trusted landlords, assign them ratings, and publish reviews from real people.
There is also a convenient system for users - booking and payment through the website. All this significantly increases the chances of spending time in comfort.
We rent only with a rental agreement
To be guaranteed to rent a home without being scammed, enter into an agreement. Don’t think that if you’re renting for a day or just a few days, you don’t need it. A well-drafted agreement provides security from many problems for both the landlord and the tenant of the apartment. It must clearly state the following:
- details of documents confirming that the landlord actually owns this apartment;
- the amount of rent and deposit;
- responsibilities of the landlord and tenant;
- procedure for transfer and return of the apartment;
- liability of the parties and other conditions.
An offer to conclude an agreement shows the seriousness and reliability of the person who provides you with his property for use. By renting an apartment without concluding an agreement, at least in a simplified form, you risk being deceived and having problems. Don’t rush to rent an apartment without a contract, even if the option is very attractive.
What to check
When moving into an apartment, do not rush to quickly finish the formalities and say goodbye to the landlord. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that interest you and meticulously check some points - this will protect you from inconvenience and problems in the future. What is especially important to pay attention to?
- Documentation. Do not hesitate to ask to see identification documents confirming that the apartment belongs to him. If this is an intermediary, then he must have a notarized power of attorney. Also read the contract thoroughly.
- Condition of furniture and equipment. Personally and in the presence of the owner, check the serviceability of all equipment, inspect the furniture and plumbing. If something doesn’t work, is broken or damaged, feel free to point it out to the owner and write it down in the contract.
- Facilities. Does the description indicate that the apartment has high-speed Internet, television with a couple of hundred channels, an iron, hair dryer, dishes and other household necessities? Check it out right away. Otherwise, you risk encountering inconvenience when it turns out that the Internet speed is not enough to download a movie in good quality, the TV shows with interference, and there was never any trace of an iron there.
If something doesn't live up to what the ad promises, or you're not happy with something, don't hesitate to speak up. You pay money for comfort, and the owner of the apartment is obliged to provide it.
How to rent an apartment daily without cheating and overpaying
Accommodation booking services are different.
There are the usual bulletin boards: a brief description of the property + the owner’s phone number. No one gives any guarantees there; this is a trip at your own peril and risk. You can call the numbers provided, but it is not a fact that they will answer, and it is not a fact that they will check in. And there are services that control your reservation, right up until the moment the owner meets you on the threshold of his apartment. Sutochno.ru is exactly like that. Let's see how it works:
1. You choose housing.
2. Send a reservation request to the owner.
3. Wait for the landlord to confirm the reservation and make an advance payment through the website.
If you make an advance payment through Sutochno.ru, you can relax - your trip is under control. Even if force majeure happens and the owner does not meet you, we will quickly find you another accommodation and transfer the advance payment to the new owner. But in practice such cases are very rare.
How can I not worry if I made an advance payment? After all, I don’t even know who I transferred it to.
The landlord does not receive an advance payment immediately, but only after you move in without making any complaints about the property. Therefore, the situation “they took an advance payment from me and threw me away” is excluded. If the landlord does not move you in, he will not receive any advance payment (it will return to you or to the new owner whose housing we offer you). Moreover, we will fine the landlord for non-occupancy.
Which owner would like such losses? That's right, no one. It turns out that the landlord is interested in your occupancy in the same way as you are.
Do not transfer prepayment to the owner’s personal card
Because if you are suddenly not accommodated, it will be very difficult to get your money back. After all, they will already be on the other person’s card, and you can force him to return it either after persuasion or through the court. Both take a very long time, and you are unlikely to want to wait and be nervous.
When you transfer your prepayment through Sutochno.ru, everything is much simpler - if something goes wrong, we can quickly return the money to you, because it still does not have time to reach the landlord.
Avoid commissions and other fees
If you book your accommodation online, you may encounter fees, “additional fees” and “service fees”.
They can have many names, but the essence is the same - they want to take more money from you, and most likely it will go not to the owner of the property, but to the service as an intermediary. All this is covered up with beautiful words that “with this money we develop and improve.”
Where they actually spend it is the question. Maybe they are developing, or maybe they are just ordering more expensive cocktails at their Friday parties.
There is no commission on Sutochno.ru. You pay only for accommodation, and only the price that the landlord himself sets.
Distinguish verified reviews from fake ones
The reliability of reviews on the Internet is a sore point. Often reviews are written by home owners themselves or website owners who live by the principle “if you don’t praise yourself, no one will.”
On Sutochno.ru everything is different. Our moderators check all reviews, so they are 100% reliable.
How can you prove that reviews can be trusted?
We have a whole system:
1. To write a review on Sutochno.ru, you need to make an advance payment for your stay through the site. We track payments and know for sure that the guest who writes the review paid for their stay through our service and actually lived in this apartment.
2. The landlord will never be able to leave a review of his property. If someone tries to create a new account and carry out similar fraud, we block him. It's tough but fair.
Use a service that awards bonuses
Most sites don't bother with this. You rent an apartment, and the site is limited to the word “thank you,” which, as you know, you can’t put in your pocket.
Not so at Sutochno.ru. If you book accommodation with prepayment through the site (as described above), you will receive a bonus for your next booking. All you need to do is write a review about your stay. Possibly bad. Possibly from one sentence. It doesn’t matter what it will be - just write it, and the bonus is yours.
Moreover, you don’t have to write it yourself. If you have made a reservation with prepayment, we will call you, ask your opinion about your stay, take notes on it, post your review ourselves and add bonuses to your balance. You don’t even have to go to Sutochno.ru.
Now you can imagine how Sutochno.ru works. Book your accommodation and we will help you with everything.
Source: //sutochno.ru/info/bez-obmana
We trust professionals
If you are planning to rent an apartment daily for the first time, entrust this matter to professionals. This way you will quickly find a suitable option without the risk of falling for scammers. The real estate agency will offer you a large selection of apartments, selected according to your parameters, and will also help you rent any one you like. The main advantages of renting an apartment through an agency:
- concluding a contract - everything is transparent, and the risk of being deceived is minimal;
- the appearance of the apartment in reality matches the photo;
- Special people clean apartments and monitor their condition.
It is believed that renting through an agency is more expensive than renting directly from private owners. You may actually have to pay a little extra. But you don’t need to waste time searching, contacting and negotiating with landlords. This is a significant saving of time and nerves.
Pitfalls of daily apartment rentals
Many people, when going on a trip or business trip or planning a romantic date, prefer to rent an apartment rather than a hotel room. However, in addition to the obvious advantages, this type of temporary housing also has disadvantages, which are still often encountered by those who want to live in a home environment.
Doesn't work - pay
It happens that the landlord, upon accepting the apartment and checking it after your stay, suddenly discovers that some piece of household equipment is broken. Of course, you will be immediately presented with claims and, most likely, a requirement to pay for the broken item.
It's one thing when you are really to blame for the breakdown. In this case, it is better to admit guilt and compensate for the damage. But there are also unscrupulous owners who try to fix something that has been broken for a long time at your expense. It will be difficult to prove your innocence if you did not initially check the apartment and did not indicate the defect in the lease agreement.
Need to book in advance
If you want to rent an apartment for a day, remember that the apartment must be booked in advance. No one guarantees that the option you like will be available on the dates you need if you start looking too late.
It is also important to take into account that during the “season” (summer-autumn and holidays) the demand for daily rental housing is increased, and it is more difficult to rent good apartments. At this time they are not idle, and many are booked a month in advance.
The more convenient the location of the apartment and the nicer it looks in the photographs, the higher the demand. Renting such apartments is also more difficult, which means you need to book as early as possible.
Grandmother's option instead of European-quality renovation
In photographs on the Internet, the apartment looks like candy and shines with fresh European-quality renovation, but in reality it is a mossy den, obviously inherited by someone from their grandmother?
Quite a few clients have found themselves in this situation and are easily fooled by photoshopped images on the Internet. To avoid becoming a victim of fate’s cruel joke in the “expectation/reality” style, look for options with real reviews. Those who are “lucky enough” to rent such an apartment most often are not lazy to express their opinion about its condition in a review.
There are times when the landlord informs you that the apartment you are interested in is already occupied, but you can rent another one that is no worse. Discard such offers immediately. More often than not, the alternative offered by the owner looks much sadder.
How to rent an apartment daily to avoid being scammed?
There are two ways to rent housing daily: on your own or through intermediaries. Searching for housing on your own will, of course, help save personal funds. However, you should understand that in this case you run the risk of running into scammers. To avoid an unpleasant situation, keep tips that will help you actually rent an apartment, and not just pay for it.
If you managed to contact the landlord on your own, you should check:
- Documents confirming that a person is the owner. When renting out an apartment, the consent of all property owners is required. Take this point into account. After all, if one party refuses to provide a service, the money is wasted. Ask the owner for documents confirming ownership. This way, you can make sure that the owner of the property is its sole owner;
- Condition of the premises. Everything is important here: the condition of the bathroom, the presence of furniture, the quality of repairs;
- Location of the apartment. Often, apartments in the center are slightly more expensive than housing on the outskirts.
It is better to immediately make sure that the provision of housing is legal. It’s good if you found the landlord through the recommendations of a friend. This can guarantee the provision of services at the proper level.
Most people, taught by bitter experience, turn to a real estate agency for help. The task of specialists from such companies boils down to:
- Searching for housing according to client requirements;
- Determining with the owner the period for viewing the property;
- Accompanying clients to inspect apartments;
- Presence at the conclusion of the contract;
- Verification of documents from the owner of the premises;
- Consultations on all emerging issues.
Among the obvious advantages of real estate agency services, one can note: saving time, security, drawing up a contract, resolving disagreements, and a huge selection of real estate options.
Drawing up a contract is an important part of the transaction. Under the contract, the lessor undertakes to provide real estate to the other party for an agreed fee for a certain period. The absence of a lease agreement can lead to trouble for both parties.
A few tips for those who want to rent an apartment daily
To make your stay in a foreign city comfortable, you should take care of renting housing. It is important to be careful and not fall into the trap of scammers, so we recommend using the following tips:
- All that glitters is not gold. Were you impressed by the photos of the apartment on the Internet? Make sure that in reality the room is in the same ideal condition. Often, apartment owners upload “left” pictures to attract attention to their ad. By the way, not only owners, but also realtors are guilty of this. Ask the landlord to additionally upload a couple of photos from the apartment to the mailbox or social network.
- Vigilance. Daily apartment rental is a common service, but you should still be wary of scammers. Under no circumstances pay rent for the chosen apartment in advance. For conscientious realtors and homeowners, payment occurs upon move-in.
- Legal side. Pay attention to the rental agreement. The document must indicate the date of arrival and length of stay. Homeowners can additionally make some adjustments - for example, damages for damaged furniture or equipment. Read all clauses of the contract carefully.
Daily rental apartments are an ideal option for short-term stays. For an affordable price, you can rent a comfortable room with all the necessary amenities.
Common Fraud Schemes
Fraud schemes have not undergone any significant changes. On a website or in an advertisement, scammers post information about renting out an apartment on favorable terms. The client studies a photo of a non-existent apartment, makes a payment, and that’s where the “deal” ends.
How to rent an apartment daily without getting scammed? Surely this has been asked at least once by a person who needed to rent an apartment. In most cases, renters of daily apartments are people who do not have much time to understand the essence of the matter, which means they can easily be deceived.
Fraud schemes are quite simple. Fraudsters rent housing for a while. They post an advertisement for daily rental housing, where they offer an apartment somewhat cheaper and on favorable terms, attaching photos of luxury apartments.
Fraudsters invite clients to an apartment, demonstrating its advantages. They can even show a passport with registration in this apartment. Be careful, because getting a copy of the passport of citizens of the Russian Federation is not a problem today. In a number of cases, such a maneuver works, and the victim naively hands over the agreed amount to the “owner” of the apartment. But settlement never happens.
Despite the fact that the topic of fraud is well covered on the Internet and in the media, our citizens still fall for their tricks.
One of the most common types of fraud is the so-called underground subletting, the victims of which, as a rule, are apartment landlords. A lease agreement is not concluded under this scheme.
The owner naively believes that the person with whom he agreed will move into the apartment. In fact, the apartment turns into a daily shelter.
Landlords also “cheat” tenants according to the following scheme: the client signs an agreement to rent space on a daily basis, where a specific amount is indicated, and after some time the landlord announces that he intends to increase the payment for accommodation. Of course, if you have an agreement, you can write a statement to the court. Investigating a case of fraud will take time, so few of the deceived clients bring the case to a logical conclusion.
Read the lease agreement carefully. Landlords go to all sorts of tricks to squeeze the maximum amount of money out of the client.
In particular, the contract may state in fine print that for the first week, the client will pay one thousand rubles per day. For subsequent days of stay, the payment will be two thousand.
Few people study the contract carefully, which is why this scheme still works.
It would seem that you have a daily rental agreement for an apartment, the living space itself is in perfect condition, located near the center, the owner is a completely adequate and personable person.
What more could you ask for? And at that very moment when a person’s vigilance quietly slumbers, the owner of the apartment has urgent problems, and he turns to the tenant with a request to pay for the stay in advance. Of course, it would be a sin to refuse such an owner.
Payment was made per day or for several days. And the very next day, the real owner of the apartment may come to visit you and rudely ask you to leave the premises.
It turned out that the apartment legally belongs to him, and the person who entered into an agreement with you was only obliged to look after the apartment during the absence of the real owner.
Experienced real estate agencies still advise giving preference to their services. Firstly, they already have a packed base of proven and reliable clients. And secondly, this can become a guarantee of confidence in the security of the transaction. Of course, the services of realtors cannot be called cheap. But to console this, we can quote the saying: “The miser pays twice.”
Unfortunately, today fraud when renting out an apartment is not very well regulated by law. Unlawful actions of a landlord or realtor can be summed up under only one article - “Fraud.” But as practice shows, in most cases, unscrupulous landlords go unpunished.
It would seem that everything is logical and understandable, but people still continue to fall for scammers. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is that many visitors need to quickly rent an apartment for a day, and there is simply no time left to study documents and other nuances.
Try to carefully evaluate the proposals of potential tenants, and most importantly, correlate this with what you just read about. Fraud will continue to thrive until landlords and tenants learn to be extra vigilant. Use the site my-haus.info to protect yourself from scammers.
Back
Source: //my-haus.info/blog/kak-pravilno-snyat-kvartiru-posutochno-chtoby-izbezhat-obmana/
