At least 21 people fall victim to rental scam in Kitchener

Keys sit against a black backdrop in this undated stock image. (George Becker/Pexels.com)

Police are investigating after 21 people lost a combined $63,000 as part of a rental fraud in Kitchener.

On Aug. 30, Waterloo Regional Police were called to a residential building on Chandler Drive near Mowat Boulevard.

Officers were told several people went to the building, expecting to move in, only to learn there wasn’t an available unit.

Several people told police they had already signed a rental agreement and paid first and last month’s rent after they responded to a social media post.

In a release on Wednesday, police said 21 people, mostly students who were new to the region, had fallen victim to the scam.

Housing troubles

The latest report from Waterloo Regional Police comes after CTV News spoke to a man who had a similar story in September.

Harsh Patel said he went to an apartment on Chandler Drive on what he believed was his move-in day only to discover he, and at least a dozen other people, had been duped and the apartment they had been shown was not available.

“It was around 15 people. The maintenance guy also said to me, before us five or six guys also showed up,” Patel told CTV News. “They were very upset. Some of them were crying.”

Some victims told CTV news they signed lease agreements and paid their first and last month’s rent, which was $4,000. Some people also paid a $350 cleaning fee.

Patel said he feels manipulated as most of the victims were international students or immigrants.

“They are taking advantage because we don't know many stuff about leases and all the things,” he explained.

Waterloo Regional Police have confirmed that incident is part of the same ongoing investigation.