New York Habitat News & Tips

Renting an apartment online is easy and safe if you avoid these 10 common mistakes

Renting an apartment online has become easier and easier over time. Different real estate agencies and companies are offering a database of apartments for rent on their websites. You can see pictures of the apartments, read reviews left by other people, and even book your apartment online.

While offering apartments online has made the process of renting an apartment easier and more enjoyable, it has also opened the door to new scams. To ensure you have a good and safe experience when you rent an apartment online, there are several things you can pay attention to while looking for an apartment.

In this article, we’ll highlight 10 things you should avoid when searching the Internet for accommodation. We’ll also give you tips on how to find safe agencies and apartments, so you can have an enjoyable experience renting an apartment online! Read the entire story here…»

As a follow-up to our article in 2008 about where to find reviews about New York Habitat, we wanted to share the latest and greatest sources where you can find reviews of New York Habitat and our apartment rentals in New York, Paris, London and the South of France.

Google

The 1st stop we recommend checking out is New York Habitat’s Google Place page. Here you can find an agglomeration of reviews from around the web including Insider Pages, Judy’s Book, Yahoo, Yelp and more. Currently our rating is 4.7 stars out of 5 based on 277 reviews and growing.

If you are looking for more detailed reviews, we would recommend checking out some of the more specific sites:

Facebook

One of our favorite places to receive reviews is Facebook because we can interact with our reviewers and respond to any questions or concerns. In addition, you will find tips, discounts and more on our Facebook page. So, please join us in the conversation on Facebook and if you have stayed in one of our apartments, share a review.

Insider Pages

One of the first and most trusted review sites is Insider Pages. Mentioned in the earlier article about reviews, New York Habitat has been receiving reviews here since 2005 and continues to receive positive feedback. More than 65 clients have reviewed our service and apartments on Insider Pages and to date we have a cumulative average rating of 5 stars! In addition to the basic rating, Insider Pages offers clients and owners the ability to add a written review as well. Be sure to check out what people have to say. Read the entire story here…»

Unfortunately, the Internet is still filled with scams, so we’re going to keep talking, tweeting, blogging and educating people about how not to fall victim to them. Many scams involve renting from afar, which is what we specialize in, so we figured who would be better to write on this topic than us at New York Habitat.

The Internet Age has become a time where trust is paramount in business transactions. It’s a global marketplace now, where renters and travelers are booking accommodations across borders and around the world. Which is why it’s more important than ever to investigate who you’re dealing with a world away via the Internet.

The proliferation of rental scams on the Internet hurts everyone; from potential renters who become victims of scams, to honest property owners, brokers and agencies who find it ever more difficult to gain people’s trust in legitimate rental transactions. The lack of policing of these rental scams hurts both the rental and tourism industries as a whole. Internet posting sites need to work on verifying the legitimacy of the posts on their site, if they don’t find a way to do this they will eventually lose all credibility.

Here at New York Habitat we recently encountered some rental scams of our own and we’re breaking down the details for you:

Example 1 –: They copy the apartment descriptions  and photos from our website but use their own email address not …@nyhabitat.com Read the entire story here…»