Paid rent and deposit but never got the keys, what now?

Landlord Tenant Forum
1

So I paid this guy who claimed to be the landlord, gave him the security deposit and first month’s rent. We even signed a lease. But then… nothing. Never gave me the keys. I’ve been texting, calling, emailing, dude just vanished. I only saw the place from outside and pics on his site. I’m starting to think I got scammed for real. IDK what to do now :sweat:

2

Wait… you paid and signed a lease but he ghosted you? That’s sketch af. Did you check if he actually owns the place?

3

Ollie said:
Wait… you paid and signed a lease but he ghosted you? That’s sketch af. Did you check if he actually owns the place?

OP said it’s an apartment inside a building, so maybe it’s harder to verify ownership? But yeah, def sounds like a scam :woozy_face:

4

@Yule
Fr, maybe go to the building and ask the actual management if they know him? Could help clear things up.

5

Did you at least get to see the apartment before handing over the cash?

6

Sam said:
Did you at least get to see the apartment before handing over the cash?

Only from the outside. He had pics on his website and that was it :weary:

7

Fitz said:

Sam said:
Did you at least get to see the apartment before handing over the cash?

Only from the outside. He had pics on his website and that was it :weary:

Ahh man… online pics can be super misleading. That’s wild. Always gotta be cautious with that.

8

Ty said:
What does ‘IDK’ mean? :sweat_smile:

lol it means ‘I don’t know’ :smile:

9

You should probably talk to a tenant lawyer asap. This def sounds like fraud. Maybe someone can help you get your money back.

10

Ellison said:
You should probably talk to a tenant lawyer asap. This def sounds like fraud. Maybe someone can help you get your money back.

Yeah I was thinking of doing an online chat with one. I just feel kinda lost rn.

11

Man that sucks. I had a sorta similar situation years ago but caught it early. Hope you’re able to get legal help.

12

Maxwell said:
Man that sucks. I had a sorta similar situation years ago but caught it early. Hope you’re able to get legal help.

Did you get your money back when that happened?

13

Bela said:

Maxwell said:
Man that sucks. I had a sorta similar situation years ago but caught it early. Hope you’re able to get legal help.

Did you get your money back when that happened?

I only lost like a small deposit but still annoying. Filed a police report just to have it documented.