Landlord here. This tenant made a mistake paying an "administrative fee" of $150, and giving the deposit ($350) without a signed lease. Though, we do charge a $50 application fee to cover the cost of the background check we run.
However, if this company is indeed not intending to rent this property and only collecting the application fees, it would be fraud.
However, if this company is indeed not intending to rent this property and only collecting the application fees, it would be fraud.