You’re ready to find your dream Destin Luxury Apartment. You know your budget, you know what you want in a Destin apartment and you know where in Destin you want to live. What’s the next step? You want to ensure you have good credit, as this will determine the type of apartment you can get in Destin, FL.
In order to ensure your credit is safe, take note of these 3 tips to prevent the headache of identity theft:
Online Rental Scams
Buyer beware. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. There are many online sites that can assist you with finding available apartments. Be watchful of the following red flags:
- The rent is entirely too low for the area and/or the property type. If it is an apartment complex, visit their website and check their prices or contact them directly. Otherwise, swipe left and keep searching.
- If the landlord is requesting financial information or a deposit before viewing the apartment. Simply say, “No thank you” and begin your search again.
- If the apartment is rented out by a private citizen and is unable to meet with you in person and says, “wire the money to xyz and I’ll tell you were to pick up the key” then run.
If you have any doubt or it seems too good to be true, don’t hand over any sensitive information or money.
Ask About Their Policies
Most landlords are very diligent about the security of sensitive information. Before offering up your sensitive information ask these questions:
- How will my personal information be used?
- Do you store my information or do you shred it? If it is not shredded, where do you store it? Not all landlords use computers and safely tuck away your information into a secure database.
- Do you have a privacy policy I can review?
If the landlord has a problem with answering these questions or you feel uneasy with their answers then this might not be the right place for you.
Wait For The Right Rental
Only fill out an application if you are certain this is the Destin apartment for you. Ensure you have asked all the preventive identity theft questions before handing over any sensitive information. Now you have asked all the questions, you love the apartment and are ready to sign…not so fast! If you know that you may have some blemishes on your credit then present this information to the landlord first. Find out if it will be an issue before volunteering your financial and sensitive information. If your information is not kept safe after you are turned down, those blemishes could then turn into a living nightmare.
Best practice for protecting yourself from identity theft is to be aware of how your information is used and stored. Also if it seems “off” chances are it probably is.