No_More_Larchide Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 So my girlfriend and I are looking at a new condo to rent, the place is immaculate, the suites never lived in, 100% rental building... We filled out an application and were approved after our references and credit was check by the building manager; They now want us to go in and give them our security deposit today, and then sign the lease agreement next week. We both had a weird vibe since we first looked, these suites are very nice for a 700-900 Sq/Ft condo, in a good location in Coquitlam, however the building is just over a year old and the building is almost empty (we did see a few residents, but for the most part we had our pick of the unit we wanted)... We think something may be up with the "site manager", the guy who showed us the units who controls the building for the owner. Is it normal to ask for a security deposit prior to signing the lease agreement? Can I / should I post date the deposit cheque until the day we move in? I looked it up, a security/damage deposit should only be asked for on the day of the move in, or up to 30 days after. Anyone have experience or heard of anything like this? Possible scam? They advertise all over craigslist and the phone number on the giant "for rent" sign outside the building is the one that guy who showed us the suite responded to. I have rented before, and for whatever reason I just get a weird feeling this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 When I have rented in the past, we turned over the deposit cheque and a post-dated cheque for the first month at the same time as signing the lease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 No lease, no security deposit is the rule I go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_More_Larchide Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 When I have rented in the past, we turned over the deposit cheque and a post-dated cheque for the first month at the same time as signing the lease. Yes, I have done that too on a couple occasions, but asking for the damage deposit, and then asking us to come back to sign the lease at a later date seemed very off to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANGO Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 don't hand over a deposit until you have the rental agreement signed and post date it for the beginning of the first month you rent. Any thing else should raise a red flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverpig Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 don't hand over a deposit until you have the rental agreement signed and post date it for the beginning of the first month you rent. Any thing else should raise a red flag. This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down by the River Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 The site manager may not be trying to screw you over, but could at the very least be trying to insulate himself from having you back out of the deal. That said, regardless of motivation, its sketchy to ask for a security deposit without signing the lease at the same time. If the building is nearly empty, the guy is hardly in a position to make demands. It is what he is asking, but too bad for him. I highly doubt he'll back out of the deal just because you aren't going to provide him with the security deposit before signing the lease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_More_Larchide Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Ya, I'm going to make sure I have the lease agreement signed and Rdy before I give him anything. Like I said, just seemed off... I have given security deposit ahead of time before, but like you guys said, never before signing the agreement. The amount of advertising they do, combined with the fact that he had keys to nearly all the empty units Rdy to show us leads me to believe this isn't a scam, maybe just uneducated owners. Their reason for the place being empty was because the owner was very strict on who they rent to, no smokers, no pets, credit and reference check, etc. They asked us about smoking literally 3 times during the showing... So I can kind of see it, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANGO Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Ya, I'm going to make sure I have the lease agreement signed and Rdy before I give him anything. Like I said, just seemed off... I have given security deposit ahead of time before, but like you guys said, never before signing the agreement. The amount of advertising they do, combined with the fact that he had keys to nearly all the empty units Rdy to show us leads me to believe this isn't a scam, maybe just uneducated owners. Their reason for the place being empty was because the owner was very strict on who they rent to, no smokers, no pets, credit and reference check, etc. They asked us about smoking literally 3 times during the showing... So I can kind of see it, If he is on the up and up he shouldn't have a problem with you doing this. If the building has been empty for a while, they are probably in need of your deposit, and in turn....trying to secure you by locking you in as quick as possible. your right, not everyone is trying to scam you but protocol is there to protect both parties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Something seems a little off to me to be honest. None of those conditions are exactly unusual. For them to have this many empty units makes me suspect that the management may cause issues down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANGO Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 you can always drop by and talk to the tenants that are already there. Find out what their experience has been like. I have done this and the guy doesn't even have to know about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_More_Larchide Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 you can always drop by and talk to the tenants that are already there. Find out what their experience has been like. I have done this and the guy doesn't even have to know about it. Ha, we actually just tried that, wanted to get an estimate of how long it took to and from work, hung out for about 10-15 mins and wanted to see how the parks/trails in the area were, no body we saw came in or out of the main entrance, probably too early after work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_More_Larchide Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Something seems a little off to me to be honest. None of those conditions are exactly unusual. For them to have this many empty units makes me suspect that the management may cause issues down the road. Im not sure about that, like I said, the units arent just renovated, they are completely brand new, never been lived in. The appliances all have the factory warranty stickers on them, and the bathrooms didnt even have shower curtain rods yet. The building is too new for people to have been wronged by management and left already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Faulk Yourself Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Perhaps it has to do with the location, or general area rather, that you're moving into instead of issues with management. Just my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Seriously. The Residential tenancy branch of the Gov is not your enemy. Read up. http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_More_Larchide Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Seriously. The Residential tenancy branch of the Gov is not your enemy. Read up. http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/ Seriously, I did. But not everyone goes by that, according to that you are only required to give the damage deposit the day of, up til 30 days after moving in. However; in all the apartments i have rented I have always given it earlier with a signed lease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Seriously, I did. But not everyone goes by that, according to that you are only required to give the damage deposit the day of, up til 30 days after moving in. However; in all the apartments i have rented I have always given it earlier with a signed lease. Its been a long time since I rented. 15 years. Arent there enough reputable rental companies around that you dont have to deal with someone who seems half shady? Or are you convinced the place is perfect for you and your budget? Maybe just be level with the guy and tell him about your concerns (without insulting him) and see what he thinks can be done to make sure you feel secure in moving forward. For some reason people seem to think they have to be in an adversarial relationship with their landlord. It shouldnt have to be that way. Being honest with him about any concerns now will help in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthecivil Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 The site manager may not be trying to screw you over, but could at the very least be trying to insulate himself from having you back out of the deal. That said, regardless of motivation, its sketchy to ask for a security deposit without signing the lease at the same time. If the building is nearly empty, the guy is hardly in a position to make demands. It is what he is asking, but too bad for him. I highly doubt he'll back out of the deal just because you aren't going to provide him with the security deposit before signing the lease. Since he is so screwed not would I make that demand I might try some last minute lowballing of the rent before the deal is signed. It's not your fault they are loosing money. Mind you, the last time I did that I ended up having my landlord getting his place repossesed by the bank lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthecivil Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Seriously. The Residential tenancy branch of the Gov is not your enemy. Read up. http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/ Depends if you are a a landlord or a tenant. Try getting rid of a problem tenant. Or dealing with a bankrupt owner now that I think of it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_More_Larchide Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Talked to someone else today, says that the building has only been for rent since november and is already nearly 50% full. Said that the owner, (based in Vancouver) requires a sec deposit and photocopies of our drivers license ahead of writing the lease agreement so that all the information can be verified properly. He said that all of the buildings he manages requires the damage dep prior to the lease agreement signing and that it is standard, he offered to give me a receipt for the deposit. I am feeling more and more that this is not a scam and just a different way of doing things than I am used to. To answer an earlier question, yes the quality of the condo, along with the rent, and location makes it perfect for us, which is why I didnt want to just pull the chute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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