Trying To Find Flatshare – Safety
It is vital to remain safe when looking for a new flat or new flatmate. Generally you will not have any difficulties locating a place to live and you will only encounter genuinely pleasant people, who would like nothing more than to find an equally pleasant individual to share their home with. There are some strange folks out there though, or even a number who are in fact out to get you (it’s not paranoia; it’s just common sense), so staying vigilant is always the best course of action.
There’s one crucial rule that you will want to keep in mind: if it seems too good to be true, then there’s a high probability it isn’t true. Be wary of flatshares that are priced dramatically lower than other apartments around the same location, or appears too cheap for the standard shown in any advertisement photos. Exercise extreme caution if an advertiser tells you that you can’t see a room until you have signed something or even handed over money, also be wary if requested to pay / receive funds by way of a money transfer system (like Western Union). If you reply to an advert written in clear English and following correspondence appears to be inconsistent in language use / quality, you should then also be cautious.
Always see the accommodation before you agree to anything and certainly before you make any payment. Any property should always be of a safe and liveable standard, which means you need to steer clear of any rooms to rent that don’t fit this description. You should also be provided with a copy of any tenancy contract to review prior to signing, and be made aware of the tenancy deposit scheme your landlord will be using. Your deposit money is by law required to be kept safe within a government approved scheme for the duration of your stay, however it doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to get the total amount back (as the landlord may be permitted to make deductions in specific instances).
In order to keep physically safe when dealing with classified ads, you should take a number of measures to avoid potentially unsafe scenarios. If you are arranging a viewing, it is a good idea to get a landline phone number that you can contact to confirm on first. You will need to take note of the address that you will be visiting and avoid agreeing to meet anywhere else, then you need to inform a friend / family member / trusted colleague of the address as well to ensure that somebody knows where you are. Also let your friend (or whomever) know the name of the person you are meeting as well as the time you will be meeting them, maybe agreeing a time to call each other to verify that you are safe.
Taking precautionary measures when searching for a flatshare Chelmsford is not a sign of undue paranoia. People who have harmful motives make up the smallest minority of society, however they are still around and that alone is reason enough to take measures to protect yourself.
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