University students in Birmingham looking for housing in the Selly Oak area -BEWARE!
One particular agent, who shall of course remain nameless, has been known to use a particular ruse to perpetrate the most appalling scam on unsuspecting young Birmingham University students looking for accommodation in Selly Oak.
A group of students went to view a particular property with this Selly Oak estate agent. They loved the house and went back to the agents office to sign up.
First of all, each of them had to pay the agent a registration fee which effectively is a fee that the agents charge for nothing else other than showing the group over some houses. Most students think that this fee might form part of the deposit. NO IT DOES NOT. It goes straight into their pockets.
UNIPADS DO NOT CHARGE FEES
When the students went back to sign the tenancy agreement they were told by the agents that unfortunately the house they wanted had been signed up by another group. However they do have other houses for the same number of people which they could offer. When the students told the agents that they didn't like any of the alternatives and asked for their registration fee back they were told that they couldn't have it. The agents told the unsuspecting students that the registration form they signed and the fee they paid was not for that specific property but covered any property that might be offered to them.
PLEASE BE WARY OF THIS TYPE OF SCAM AND DO NOT GET CAUGHT OUT.
We at UNIPADS DO NOT charge any fees.
With us you are dealing DIRECTLY with the landlords and not through any intermediaries.