You never know who you’re getting in the car with when you work with one of the apartment rental services that we call bedbugs. A number of the rental services on our do-not-call list routinely employ unlicensed agents. And others apparently don’t hesitate to employ agents who have prior criminal convictions.
The June 2011 disciplinary report (pdf) from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) notes that one Patrick Washington has been issued a leasing agent license and placed on probation for 12 months due to a prior criminal conviction. According to IDFPR records, Washington’s license is sponsored by The Homestead Group, one of the rental services on our do-not-call list.
The Homestead Group, as you can see in the above image, prominently displays the BBB logo on its website despite the fact that it is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau.