How do you verify this?
For example, if I really like an apartment and want to stay longer in it, I might be inclined to write a fake review about how about the apartment or my landlord is to steer competition away.
For example, if I really like an apartment and want to stay longer in it, I might be inclined to write a fake review about how about the apartment or my landlord is to steer competition away.
They can evict the tenant in a retaliatory manner, or if what they wrote qualifies as libelous, take them to court easily.
So the incentive to write fake reviews to steer competition away is just not there.
This doesn't mean that there won't be fake reviews, just that worrying about fake reviews of this particular sort doesn't make much sense.
Or how about a neighbor who values quietness and doesn't want the landlord to be able to rent out the apartment?
Since it's "anonymous" multiple parties could have incentives to write negative reviews.
I’d argue the bigger issue is bogus reviews in favor of landlords.
Open Google Maps, pick any apartment complex. You’ll see lots of 4-5 stars for “Great tour!” “Staff were so friendly to show me around!” “I’ve lived here 1 month and it’s PERFECT”
These reviews are disingenuous.
Some landlords encourage prospective tenants and tenants with bonuses to quickly rush out a review before any actual behavior can be observed.
What’s stopping a sour neighbor from marking a unit as a business in Google Maps and tossing on a bad review?
An apartment will have 1 review every 1-2 years at most. Any fake review will substantially influence the landlord.
For large apartment complexes, Google Maps and Yelp already handle those. What’s left are small time mom and pop landlords. That’s what this website is aiming for based on my observations.
EG say they on average interview 3 tenants before they pick one and take 4 days to get one inquiry after listing a property convincing fully 1/3 of tenants to give them a big miss would result in the property being vacant for an extra 4 days every 3 years. Meanwhile they will be pricing their property based on prevailing prices for units like theirs.
This strategy would not be expected to work so few people are going to make unfairly negative reviews about places they already live.
I would actually expect to see
1) Fake positive reviews by management/owners
2) Unfair negative reviews by people who were themselves problematic
3) Apartments trying to force people not to review them as a condition of tenancy and trying to unmask reviewers to sue them
4) People trying to get negative reviews removed with hallow or real legal threats
5) Fake negative reviews by competition