Hello,
I was wondering if you could help me with something. I'm looking for a new place to rent long term. I found a nice looking flat on Facebook which is very cheap for where it is and what it looks like. This was the first red flag. Now, the lady doesn't want to meet every potential tenant in person because of the coronavirus. She wants to use Airbnb to do a booking. This is her email:
"Just to make things clear, I am the Landlord and I didn't list it on airbnb yet. First of all, I am sending additional photos, as I don't have time to exchange lots of emails, as I have some high interest in my apartment.
...
To do the booking, viewing, I require confirmation through Airbnb ( Airbnb Guests Protection), after I list it on their website. You have to book it and pay the first 2 months + guarantee ( fully refundable if you decide against renting, which I doubt) from their website. From the moment your booking is confirmed, Airbnb representative will contact you about viewing and you can move in straight away. You have to pay directly Airbnb, not me. If you don't like the apartment you will receive all your money back from Airbnb in less than 24 hours after refusal.
If you like the apartment then you sign the contract, on the viewing day, and move in immediately. For the first 2 months you will have everything paid. Starting the 3rd month, you will pay the rent directly in my personal account, to avoid Airbnb fees. No hidden taxes or fees.
To make reservation arrangements, I need the following information from you:
Full name of the future tenant, Address and Phone Number. After that I will list the apartment on https://www.airbnb.com/ and send you the link so you can book it."
It sounds dodgy to me overall. However, the fact that she wants me to pay her through Airbnb would mean that I could actually get my money back if the whole thing turned out not to be real. Am I right?
I would really appreciate if someone could share their thoughts on this.
Many thanks!
