Shady rental brokers prey on desperate house-hunters in Rabat

Given a shortage of quality rental properties, finding decent rent offers in Rabat is becoming more difficult. The brokers that handle this for clients are not making it any simpler.

“Dealing with brokers can be stressful because some of them pose as owners of rental agencies to charge clients extra money, especially those who have an urgent need,” says Kaoutar, a young working lady who resides in Rabat. “They charge for agency fees, although the quality of service they deliver is plainly broker’s. It is fraud against the clients.”

According to Kaoutar, some brokers now just make this assertion without providing any legal support, in order to charge customers considerably more money for their role as mediators between clients and property landlords.

She attributes the “chaotic” situation to the industry’s lack of regulation, saying that if a broker or mediator isn’t certified, citizens may be subjected to a variety of frauds.

According to Moroccan legislation, the broker is entitled to payment for his services, and the fee is a percentage agreed upon by the parties. The law leaves it for the two sides of the brokerage contract to decide on a percentage. In conclusion, the need for regulating the industry is apparent, and licensed rental agencies offer more secure possibilities for finding housing in Rabat.

“A lot of people contact licensed rental agencies to locate more secure possibilities to find housing,” says Noureddin, the proprietor of a licensed rental service. “It regulates my work and makes dealing with clients easier.” The ability to deal with a rental agency can be advantageous because “the fees for finding a rental increase because the rent agency handles all the paperwork with landlords for the clients.”

Amine is another house-hunter who lives in Rabat to pursue his career. Amine notes that those who rent are most negatively impacted by the conditions of rent in Rabat. “The more years that pass, the higher the number of brokers who appear whenever you go house hunting, stating that they are certified agencies in the business,” he says. Thus there is no guarantee for the clients or evidence that an agency is being run, and the price automatically ascends.

“It is intolerable that they propose that you live in a place that costs more than half of your pay, but when you look at it, it is so apparent that it is worth much less,” said Amine.

According to Noureddine, these incidents are jeopardizing the credibility of the agencies and the workers in this field. “The frauds and demeaning proposals that the clients receive occasionally cause them to lose trust in our work.”

The complexity of the housing services in the capital depends on a variety of factors. As rent costs start to become more accessible for certain people, the frustration of those looking for homes continues to rise.