CALGARY- A woman who tried to rent out a northeast duplex to 10 different families has been charged with fraud.
The case came to light on Wednesday morning, when all of them showed up to the home in Temple at the same time, expecting to move in. All of them had answered an ad on Kijiji, signed rental agreements and paid deposits.
The woman who took the money—who was actually renting the home herself—is now undergoing psychiatric treatment in hospital, while the victims are scrambling to find places to live.
She adds that she wishes there was a way to turn the tables, and do background checks on potential landlords.
The executive director of the Calgary Rental Association says there are some ways to suss out the situation ahead of time.
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“First of all, you want to ask ‘are you in fact the landlord? Do you own the property here?,’” says Gerry Baxter. “There’s nothing wrong with asking that question.”
He also suggests talking to neighbours.
When tenants sign a lease and are given the keys, legally they’re considered to have possession of the property and can move in. However, in this case the move in dates were delayed, which experts say is a red flag.
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