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More than 35 million people move in the United States every year.

Unfortunately, the number of rental scams is on the rise. If you're not careful, you could be out hundreds or thousands of dollars.

This is particularly true when it comes to short term apartment rentals. Read on to learn how you can find a short-term rental apartment in Florida without falling victim to a scam.

Avoiding Apartment Scams

Online scams are so common that no one is surprised by them, particularly when you're searching on sites like Craigslist. But when you're looking online for weekly furnished apartment rentals, it can be difficult to recognize a scam at first glance.

Here are some ways you can avoid a short-term rental apartment scam.

1. Identify If It's Too Good to Be True

If you're looking for a short term rental in Florida, it's important to realize that you get what you pay for.

If it has great photos and awesome photos, that's excellent. But if it also has an extremely low price, you should be suspicious. Scammers often attract potential victims with impossibly low prices for apartments online.

Another thing to watch out for? No background or credit checks. Reputable landlords and property manager want to ensure you're a respectable tenant. It's rare that they will volunteer to not check your credit and criminal history.

2. Watch out for Poor Grammar and Missing Photos

When you're looking for an apartment, watch out for listings that have no photos or horrible grammar. If you were trying to rent an apartment, you would naturally want to show potential tenants what it looks like to entice them to get in touch.

There are only two reasons why there would be no photos: Either the apartment is rundown or in a bad condition, or the apartment is non-existent.

Bad grammar is another sign to watch out for. This can indicate that the listing was posted by someone overseas (often these are scammers from developing countries). It could also mean that the listing was generated by a computer--just like a spam email.

3. Check for a Location

You may also see apartments listings that don't show where the apartment is located. This should be a huge red flag for you.

They can't give you an address when there's no apartment to rent. You'll also notice that if you ask to meet them in person, there will be a bunch of excuses as to why they can't.

Often, they'll ask you for an application fee, so you can "register your interest." Once the fee is paid, they'll ghost.

4. Ask About the Landlord

One of the things you should always do is get contact details for the landlord. If the person listing the property refuses to give you the details or claims they're not available, be wary.

If the landlord is continually unavailable, this is a bad sign since you'll find it difficult to get in touch with them if there are any problems. But there may not even be a landlord to contact--meaning it's a complete scam.

Finding Short Term Apartment Rentals

As you can see, there are a few key rules to follow when you're looking for short term apartment rentals.

Never send any money before you've seen the property. And if it seems like a scam, use your intuition and keep looking for that perfect apartment.

Need help with your search? Get in touch today and avoid the scams completely.