Updating post from Reddit.
Im currently advertising on spare room and noticed there are alot of men enquiring about the room on behalf of professional women. My question is..why arent they looking for themselves? Also, it's a new thing. Last time I advertised it was about a month ago and the trend then was young male doctors. Anyone else experienced this?
I had a few of those in the past, was just bizarre, they told me nothing about to the person just “my sister needs room” or similar. I told them the sister should set up their own account with a profile. I guess could be a scam but not sure how it’d work, just seemed more clueless
Prostitution.
I might say that I only deal with people who have their own account.
Pimps?
Maybe report it, I hope it's nothing but could be trafficking related?
That's what I thought.
Think citizens advice lays out the ways you can report. No harm in just raising your concern as it could lead to them tracking the agents and working with them on this.
This is really good advice, would urge OP to report it.
Had an enquiry before a female profile who asked for viewing and, when confirmed, the viewing and sent the address. She(he) replied that I am a male and he just used his sister's profile, so I cancelled the viewing and threatened to report him for using someone else profile so he apologised and deleted the profile. Lesson learned never to arrange viewing for people with no profile picture and a spareroom profile.
Ah thanks for the tip ..that's a really good point
I had this not so long ago. He was looking for his sister who was a PhD student. He was already living in the UK she was living in his home country in Nigeria. Maybe they thought it was just better he dealt with it. I did a virtual tour with him spoke to him and he paid the holding deposit. It was weird that I never spoke to her and even though I asked a few times never really got any details about her. Anyway he said she got a place in halls I kept the holding deposit. He didn't even ask for it back as I made it very clear if she didn't move in it was non refundable. Managed to find someone else to take the room.
I see it quite alot with foreign nationals. Maybe it's a culture thing, maybe it's a shy/ nervous thing or maybe it's a protective thing (few predatory landlords on spare room having a male deal with it as a female would put them off).
Yep...Al PhD students. Last year it was junior doctors.
I mean I spoke to the guy on face time and he sent me the holding deposit which he obviously never got back. If it was all fake it was really really weird.
Interesting, I would be very cautious about renting to someone on behalf of someone else without meeting them
Professional what exactly
Yep..I had a guy looking for a PhD student the other day..I thought surely she's clever enough to look for herself.
Most likely they want to rent-to-rent your room and think a “professional woman” will pass any checks you are performing.
Yes exactly..
Yeah seen this loads. I ignore.
All of my Spare room ads simply say 'if you see ad then YES. The room is available. Tell me about yourself if you are interested'. It's a test.
Lots of great people say 'Hi, i'm Michael, i'm 30, I work in xyz and am moving because xyz. Been at current place for x, etc, etc.'
Lots and lots of people say 'is it available?'. Or even. 'Interested - call me on 0775302xxxx'. Just get ignored.