Rentfaster.ca - How trustworthy?

[EnjoyTheJourney]

We've found some properties that we might be interested in renting on rentfaster.ca, which is apparently a home rentals site for which landlords pay to list their properties. We are searching for a house to rent in or near Edmonton, Alberta.

We're noticing that some the properties that are most appealing have just a phone number and a green button to click to contact the landlord. So, we need to trust that rentfaster.ca has done their homework about the (presumably private, individual) landlord diligently enough that we are not likely to be scammed by working through their website. They are eager to get us to sign up through them and provide them with private information, as well.

To what extent would it be wise to trust rentfaster.ca and landlords who list on the site?

Thank you in advance for any insights offered.

[scottish]

I found that site as well.   We're interested in a rental just east of the rockies, somewhere like Cochrane.   Vacation rentals out there can hit 10K/month, so it would be quite a bit cheaper to just rent a normal townhouse and furnish it yourself once you get over 2 months duration or so.   If you've got the time...

You could get your lawyer to look over the rental contract.   Maybe he could also verify that the landlord has the legal right to rent the property as well?    Anyway I'm interested in what happens!

[EnjoyTheJourney]

Thank you for your interest and reply, scottish.

After delving a bit deeper into the site a few things have been learned ...

Filling in the rentfaster.ca paperwork doesn't seem to matter from a property management company's perspective because they prefer their own paperwork be filled out.

None of the property management companies we've found so far have stellar reviews. Some have horrible reviews. One such firm changed their name; looking up reviews under their old name led to finding some pretty hideous reviews from former renters. Glad we dug deep enough to find them.

With private landlords it's hard to know how much to trust them while we're still located in another country.

It's becoming increasingly tempting to AirBNB the first two or three weeks over in the Edmonton area and try to find accommodations after we arrive.

[scottish]

I didn't understand - you're living abroad somewhere and want to move to Edmonton.     Do you have ties in Edmonton?   Calgary is a much better location if you want recreational time in the mountains...

I wouldn't recommend renting (or buying) a property without taking a close look at it in person.   If a lease, then you'll be stuck with it for 12 months even if it sucks.    You're not buying, but that would be even worse than being stuck with a bad rental!

I know alot of people bought without viewing the property during the pandemic, but that's so risky it's silly.   Of course people also made unconditional offers without home inspections, appraisals or financing, so many buyers had a big appetite for risk.   

It's pretty standard to arrange a house hunting trip on a corporate move (I've done this twice, although it's been a while), and I'd recommend the same thing on a personal move.    If it's a corporate relocation, you should be able to get the company to cough up some money to cover expenses.

[EnjoyTheJourney]

I didn't understand - you're living abroad somewhere and want to move to Edmonton.     Do you have ties in Edmonton?   Calgary is a much better location if you want recreational time in the mountains...

I wouldn't recommend renting (or buying) a property without taking a close look at it in person.   If a lease, then you'll be stuck with it for 12 months even if it sucks.    You're not buying, but that would be even worse than being stuck with a bad rental!

I know alot of people bought without viewing the property during the pandemic, but that's so risky it's silly.   Of course people also made unconditional offers without home inspections, appraisals or financing, so many buyers had a big appetite for risk.   

It's pretty standard to arrange a house hunting trip on a corporate move (I've done this twice, although it's been a while), and I'd recommend the same thing on a personal move.    If it's a corporate relocation, you should be able to get the company to cough up some money to cover expenses.

We have no direct ties to Edmonton. We're retired, and so all of this is taking place on our own dime.

I had a trip fully booked (flight, hotel, car rental) to find a home for us. Unfortunately, I got an unexpected positive COVID-19 test less than 24 hours before my flight. So, the trip got cancelled. With our moving date drawing closer, and given the expense of traveling on short notice, it probably makes more financial sense to just go and find a home after our arrival.

To try to avoid the "go and find a home later" scenario, we've been trying to doing things remotely since my trip got cancelled. But, we've been learning just how risky and challenging that can be.

Circling back to the OP, rentfaster.ca seems like a very helpful resource. And, the ones running rentfaster.ca probably catch some of the bad actors who try to use their site to scam or mistreat renters. But, they clearly don't catch and remove them all.

[Rockies]

I lived in Edmonton for years - loved it! Access to a beautiful river valley, friendly, non-pretentious people, low cost of living, great XC skiing and summertime outdoor activities. It really is one of the best cities in North America in my books - and I have lived and travelled all over the continent and the world. Sadly, many people discount it due to its northernly location.

I still strongly dislike Calgary as a city even though I live close by it so dont let the Albertan inter-city rivalry sway you. But I do agree that the only disadvantage to Edmonton is the long drive to the mountains.


To answer your question: If I were you I'd definately not try to find a rental place before being there in person. There is just so much to miss when you try to arrange remotely. I'd rent a place temporarily and then get "boots on the ground" before you move. What if the place looks great in photos but smells bad? What if traffic noise is bad? What if the land lord gives you sketchy vibes?These are things you will never be able to tell from a website.