Beware of scams when renting an apartment

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Looking for an apartment can be stressful enough. Dealing with scams and bad brokers can make it a nightmare.

But there are some tips to make sure you don't get taken, and lose a whole lot of money.

This always seems to happen to people so excited to move into a place that seems to good to be true.

Below market rent, bigger space and then bam, the deposit they saved up for, vanishes!

"I think he's just a scam. He's just a criminal," said renter Njanko Trawalleh.

Trawalleh's talking about an apartment he said he spent thousands to rent - from a man he says is not the owner.

Back in May, Njanko found a Co-op City listing on Craigslist, got a lease to sublet, and forked over $3,750.

But 2 days before his move in date, Njanko says the tenant he sublet from told him his apartment was no longer available..and he wasn't given back his money.

So we went in search of the tenant, first knocking on his door, then calling him on the phone.

The tenant renting out the apartment denied ever getting Njanko's cash, telling us all he received was a $300 non-refundable deposit.

First mistake Njanko made: he never got a properly signed lease. And he should've been more wary of the original Craigslist post. A simple check with the management city reveals Co-op City doesn't even allow sub-leasing.

Next was paying $3,750 in cash.

And cash is not king when signing a lease. Always pay by check. So there's a record.

Njanko had to dip into his savings, scrambling to get another apartment. His possessions - still in storage. No furniture, paying for storage, and minus all his money.

Next stop for Njanko, he says, will be small claims court.

Also, 2 more big takeaways: it's always best to rent from a licensed broker or the landlord.

And do some research. It's easy to check if your broker's licensed, if a landlord owns a building, or if the management says subletting is allowed.