At BoligPortal, we do a lot to ensure that you can safely search for housing. Among other things, we validate all rental advertisements before they are posted on the website. We do this to ensure that both the rental property and the landlord are genuine.
Even though we put a lot of effort into this, we still encourage you to exercise caution if you notice the following signs.
Tips for safe property seeking
Communication with the landlord:
Exercise caution if...
- The landlord tries to divert your conversation away from BoligPortal's messaging system by providing an email address for you to contact
- You receive an SMS where a name is mentioned instead of a phone number.
Viewing:
Be cautious if...
- The landlord tries to avoid showing you the property
- The landlord appears overly eager to rent out the property quickly
- The landlord wants you to sign a lease agreement immediately.
Lease agreement (rental contract):
Never sign a lease agreement if...
- The landlord wants you to transfer money before you have seen the property and signed the lease agreement
- You haven't had the opportunity to thoroughly read the contract
- There are verbal agreements from, for example, the viewing that are not included in the contract.
Remember to arrange a move-in inspection of the apartment in connection with the signing of the lease agreement. This allows you to point out any defects or shortcomings in the rental property to the landlord. This way, you ensure that you won't be held responsible for existing damages to the property.
Landlord:
Investigate who your new landlord is.
- If you suspect that you are not in contact with the real landlord of the property, it's a good idea to check who owns the property. In Denmark, you can check all property owners on the website ois.dk
- In the case of subletting, it's a good idea to ensure that the owner is aware of the subletting. This way, you will be in a better position regarding any conflicts between the owner of the property and the person subletting the property to you.
Payment:
Never pay money under the table! It is illegal, and legally, it's not possible to get your money back!
- Never pay the deposit in cash. Instead, make a bank transfer so that the transaction can be traced.
- Never pay rent, deposit, or prepaid rent through online payment services such as Western Union, as the transaction cannot be reversed. However, on BoligPortal, some landlords have the option to charge rent via MobilePay, which is completely secure for you as a tenant.
If you experience one or more of the above scenarios with a landlord, we at BoligPortal always want to know if you don't feel safe and secure as a tenant. Please contact us at info@boligportal.dk or call us at +45 70 20 80 82.
Do you want to know more about having a property seeker subscription on BoligPortal?
Read more in our guide on purchasing a subscription and starting your property search.