Based on my experiences, I suspect that speculators, neighborhood watch and those who help to “clear” residents from properties maliciously tag housing ads on sites like Craig’s List to ensure their removal. It’s possible that those trying to turn over my childhood home in Albany either search for posts using the Albany zip code or use their rogue WiFi extenders and hotspots to access and review my web history for ads and other communications. My ads are aggressively tagged, often within a short time after posting.
I’m finally posting this note on this likelihood because it’s something that should be known. The list of dirty tricks that these speculators and rogue block coordinators and watch groups play is endless. Those who do this try to ensure that those looking for housing cannot rent houses they want and that residents who rely on roommates to help pay the bills face a higher chance of being made to give up their homes. This type of harassment affects the availability and cost of housing.
When anti-renter bias in towns like Albany, California results in the systematic removal of ads to rent housing, this is a civil rights matter that should concern us. For me, while Craig’s List certainly has its share of scammers trafficking it, the site remains the most used site for housing that I know of. I’ve tried a few other websites and do keep an ad on one of those that doesn’t make it so easy for the malicious to tag ads. I’m also thinking of just putting a “For Rent” sign in the yard. This might be something that others who are being harassed should also consider.
