- File
Finding ideal accommodation can be a big challenge.
Dennise Williams, Staff Reporter
IN THE frenzied search for affordable places to rent, many persons go about searching for property the wrong way. The ads placed in the classified sections of newspapers are seductive: "Affordable accommodation, $2,000 up."
The desire for modest rental payments causes many persons to dial the number and subsequently find themselves no better off, but lighter in the pocket.
It has reached The Sunday Business desk that many persons pay for listings of properties for rent, only to be out of pocket with nothing to show for their efforts.
Peter Forrest told Sunday Business that, "My girlfriend was looking for a place to rent. I saw the agency's ad in the paper and I called. They said that I should pay for a list of properties. When I did, I was given the list and told to visit each place. The list contained properties that were either already rented or unsuitable. I went back to the agency and asked for a refund. They said no, and told me that my money would last for two months by which time they would try to find somewhere else for me. I feel robbed."
And he is not alone. Checks with the Real Estate Board, the statutory agency appointed by the Ministry of Land and Environment to license real estate agents, reveal that many such complaints come in.
Said our contact at the Board, "It is illegal for someone to offer for rent a property without a license unless the property belongs to them. We get a lot of complaints about these rental agencies."
The typical complaints are:
The address is an empty piece of land
The place is not suitable to live in. For example, persons have been sent to a property for rent on Constant Spring Road that is one room with an outside pit latrine.
The owners of the property did not know that their property was listed for rent.
The property is already rented to the person who came a few minutes before.
Said our contact, "When people complain, we refer them to the Rent Assessment Board as we can really do nothing about it other than say not to do business with unlicensed persons."
The Rent Assessment Board, however, has no powers to sanction persons who sell rental lists. When complaints come into the Board, persons are told to use their receipts as a basis to go to court for redress.
According to staff members, the Rent Assessment Board deals only with disputes between landlords and tenants. So Sunday Business went to the source and called around to find out what the rental agencies were offering.
Dynamic Agency stated, "We have places to rent. But the fee is $700. If you are not happy with the places we give you to look at, the registration fee lasts two months, but we don't give a refund."
At Universal Placement Services, we were told that a studio in Mona could be rented for $6,500 monthly, but we had to pay a registration fee of $700.
A real estate expert told Sunday Business that the starting price for studios in the Mona area was between the $10,000 to $12,000 range.
At Job Express and Rental Agency, we spoke to Diane Amberley. Before we could say what type of property we were looking for, Ms. Amberley immediately said, "Have you paid a registration fee with us? No. Well, you need to come into our Slipe Road offices and pay $700 and then we will send you to view places we have to rent."
When asked if she was licensed, we were told yes and that she was a licensed real estate agent.
However, according to the Real Estate Board, this is not the case. Said the case officer, who wished to remain anonymous, "We don't have such a person listed as a licensed real estate agent."
Sunday Business next called Quality Employment and Rental Services. There we were told that for $700 we could get a listing. When we explained that we were looking for a one-bedroom apartment in the Constant Spring Road area, we were told that Quality has the following:
An apartment near Queens High School for $10,000 negotiable and an apartment near Constant Spring Gardens for $8,000.
However, according to licensed realtor Alton Thompson, "Those prices are unrealistic. For the Constant Spring Road area a studio is $14,000 and one bedrooms start at $18,000 and go up to $25,000."
So if the prices quoted are unrealistic why do people continue to pay the fees?
Again, Thompson opined: "People go to these rental agencies because they don't know better. They think that licensed realtors are going to only have expensive places and charge big money. It all boils down to a lack of knowledge."
Thompson says that the right way to rent property does involve a real estate agent, but does not involve paying upfront. "When you are looking for a place, you call up the real estate company and see if they have anything renting. If we have something suitable, we will take you there to view. If you like it, then we are paid a fee of one month's rent by the landlord. The tenant pays us nothing. "
And for those who sincerely believe that realtors have only expensive properties to rent, rental agencies are still not the best option.
Says Faye Kessler of Keyland Real Estate, "Look in the newspapers or ask your friends. It is true that someone with a place to rent for under $15,000 might not give it to a realtor as it will go quickly. So, tell your friends you are looking for a place to rent and ask around you will find somewhere. But don't go to the rental agencies. Once a person asks you for money to find you a place, just walk away without an argument. If it is over the phone, hang up. They make it hard for decent real estate agents."
