They may end up having to, because the landlord will only take ‘verified renters’. So unless you’re the only one making a bid, you will never get the property.
Comment on Charging to tour rental properties...
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 weeks ago
Is anybody actually going to pay this? I’m limited in how mad I can get over someone deluding themselves.
RedFrank24@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’m sure someone will. It’s a relatively small amount of money compared to, say, rent itself. And if you think you’re getting some material benefit from the service, you could be gulled into it.
I’m more curious to see if this becomes “normal”. Like, if a cartel of rental agencies all decide they’re not getting enough in referrals and need to juice their profits directly from the customer, then this pops up everywhere.
No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
At one point I worked in a role where I helped people with tech issues, including getting printing and scanning done for documents that needed to be signed.
I regularly had people coming with letters to potential landlords for printing/signing/scanning, thanking the landlord for the opportunity to view a rental, noting the listed rent, and offering a higher rent and/or a cash gift if they were the tenant who was selected.
Very illegal and scummy, exploiting desperate people and families. This app feels like the codifying of that shady landlord behaviour.
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 weeks ago
By that logic, grocery stores exploit hungry people.
CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 weeks ago
I sure wouldn’t. If anything it sounds like these rentals will be worse than the free to look at ones. It’s only 5 bucks, but it’s 5 bucks.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Sort of a “Cobra Problem” of rental agencies, wherein they have an economic incentive to show you a few duds before they get you anywhere near some place you’d want to live in.
Incidentally, this is already a strategy rental agencies. Exhausting your client in a run-around means they’re more likely to settle on a mediocre choice than hold out for something better. Stapling a price tag on every new visit means further disincentivizing them to keep looking after you’ve showed them a bunch of lemons.