AIBU to be suspicious of this LL?

[Nicebucket]

In case anyone has followed my previous thread about my flat hunt, I've finally found a place that seems suitable.

The rent is within my budget and inclusive of all bills. The area is also fab!

But

There had to be a catch :-(

The landlord wants the rent ONLY via cash or cheque. For reasons I cannot understand, he is unwilling accept payment via bank transfer.

I found this a bit dodgy! The guy i spoke to is the property manager, who manages and maintains flats for the landlord. He's the one who collects rent etc. and he is saying the landlord won't accept bank transfers, and he prefers cash/cheque.

I found out about this guy via an agency and he rents properties via the agency as well. I've dealt with that agency before and I know they're all right. But this particular flat is not being let via the agency (which I dint kind because it saves me money on agency fees)

He's willing to give me signed receipts for the cash and the cheques are all recorded anyway.

I still find this dodgy! Clearly he has a bank account, which is how he'd cash the cheques. So why can't I make a transfer to that account? And the cash is even dodgier! Surely he's trying to evade tax or worse?

Would you do it? Would you agree to pay rent only via cash/cheque?

In case this LL is dodging tax, or doing something criminal could I get into legal trouble for it?

I know I could keep looking for something else, but I've really struggled and I couldn't find anything as nice as this for the price :-(

[00100001]

When did you give him £200????

[TheOriginalWinkly]

Catford? 10 minutes ish to Lewisham DLR by bus or about 5 minutes by train, just over a 30 minute commute in total. This flat is on a nice quiet street.

[Konserve]

what about beckton? galions reach?
stratford? mile end?

[TheOriginalWinkly]

Brockley is nice too and this is just over half an hour from Canary Wharf.

[Youarentkiddingme]

Personally if I had to pay by cash/cheque I'd chose cheque but do it from an account that was set up solely for the purpose of paying rent.
So SO to that account monthly for The rent amount and cheque from that. That way if it takes 2 weeks to be paid in and cleared its easier for you to manage the finances.

[specialsubject]

..and there is the catch. £200 off you without even the trouble of renting to you.

not sure where you go for any possibility of getting it back, hopefully someone else knows.

[TheOriginalWinkly]

Did this have anything to do with gumtree, out of curiosity?

[WhatTheJeffHasGoneOnHere]

Greenwich? Bow? Poplar?

[Nicebucket]

I made the mistake of giving him £200 as a holding deposit because I was desperate and out of options.

I know it was a mistake, but the understanding was that if I told him before Monday, I'd get it back. Obviously I wont.

I've reported him to the agency already.

[Nicebucket]

Yes! It does have to do with gumtree

I've looked in Greenwich and poplar- surprisingly expensive!!

[stripytees]

Why aren't you using Rightmove and choosing a reputable lettings agent, OP?

There are plenty of options in SE London near transport connections to Canary Wharf, for example this in Deptford studio flat.

[Nicebucket]

I'm looking at right move too, obviously.

[Cabrinha]

Is the property still on Gumtree? I'd call 101.

When I was looking for a secondhand pram, there was a guy selling an expensive one at a price just pitched low enough to make you panic and rush to transfer the money, just high enough to make you think it was still legit. It just didn't feel right, and I googled some key words and going lots of online warnings on baby forums.

Useful that the agency know who your middle man is. I'd hardball that you're going to the police and small claims court. As I said before, it may be enough to get you your £200 back if you didn't sign to say it was non refundable. If they've scammed £200 off lots of people, they may expect to pay back a few persistent ones.

[Nicebucket]

Ok this will soon sound even dodgier.

This flat was never advertised- I got this agency's number off gumtree, but this flat was not on there. The guy told me he was giving me a special offer which wasn't even on the market yet.

I know this just makes me sound like such an idiot for falling for this.

[Cabrinha]

Well, I'm starting to understand why your real life friends said no to this, and MN was less forthright - presumably your friends had all the additional info on the insistence on money up front, no deposit guarantee and the scam-awareness raising word that is "Gumtree"!

[WhatTheJeffHasGoneOnHere]

I found rightmove not up to date enough in London, you have to go in the agencies where you want to live and tell them what you want as things go quickly. We found our flat in sw London like that.

[OutToGetYou]

Look, you're not an idiot. If scammers had to wait for idiots they'd not get far.
Scammers are good at what they do.
No point beating yourself up or wondering what he did or why, just move on.
Ask him for the £200 back, say you've changed your mind.
It's pretty unlikely you'll get it but either way, a "non refundable holding deposit" isn't that unusual, agencies charge them.

Read the Shelter website about dealing with landlords and letting agents. Follow their advice.

In the meantime, I guess there's noone you know in London you can stay with short term? Where do you live now, can you rent a M-F in London and go back to where you live now for weekends, or to your parents/family, even short term while you get to know the area you're working in?
Does your employer have a noticeboard or online forum where you can ask about places to stay?
If you do a share then it's not usually a 6m min, so you can move out quite soon when you've found the right place and saved up a bit.

[OutToGetYou]

Loads of flats in London get let without being advertised, that's not a red flag in itself.
And Gumtree isn't all scams but I would personally avoid it.
My nephew got scammed on a flat rent off Spareroom. And I agree, Rightmove isn't up to date enough for London or other big cities.

[Nicebucket]

Well, at the moment I'm in a company flat but they will kick me out in a week.

I have a few friends here, however none that I could live with because they all live with partners and don't have any extra space.

[Nicebucket]

Yeah, right move keeps adverts from even 100 days ago!!

I haven't been looking at gumtree this time much, I meant that I'd found his agency off gumtree the last time I rented in London (when I was a student).

[greatbigwho]

What about out West - somewhere round Ealing would keep you on the Central line.

[stripytees]

Rightmove will show you who the reputable big agencies in the area are. Walk into one of them and you know you won't get scammed.

Having read your other thread about this, you are making yourself vulnerable to getting scammed and also really complicating things being so picky about areas.

[Nicebucket]

I'm honestly not being picky about areas any more! I was being cautious initially because I don't know East London very well.

[Thelushinthepub]

You need to narrow down to an area. You can't look at half of London at once. It's not hard at all to find a rental in London, there are far more than in most areas. Just go into a few estate agents. Start with the big boys if you like- fox tons, winkworth etc

[stripytees]

The one I linked to in Deptford is minutes from New Cross station and 10 minutes from Deptford Bridge - two easy transport options for getting to work which is useful in case one line is delayed etc. RM has two flats listed on the same street for under £900pm.