18 August 2026 · 7 min read
Renting a home from a listing without getting scammed
Rental fraud follows a script: a beautiful property, an absent owner, and a deposit requested before you view. Here is how to break the script.
Housing is the category where scams pay best, because deposits are large and paid up front. The good news is that rental fraud is remarkably formulaic — once you know the pattern, it is easy to spot.
The five red flags, in order of seriousness
- Any request for money before you have physically stood inside the property.
- An owner who is 'abroad' and will courier the keys.
- Rent noticeably below the going rate for that neighbourhood.
- Photos that look like a catalogue — reverse-image search them.
- Refusal to meet at the property, or meeting only at a café nearby.
Verify who you are dealing with
Ask for the title deed or the landlord's ownership document and their ID, and check the names match. If you are dealing with an agent, ask which agency, then call that agency on a number you find yourself rather than the one the agent gives you.
Neighbours are an underrated source of truth. Knock on a door and ask who owns the place. It takes two minutes and has saved a lot of deposits.
Inspect the boring things
- Water pressure and whether there is a storage tank — ask about the supply schedule.
- Power: meter type, whether the bill is prepaid, and who pays for the generator fuel.
- Damp patches at the base of walls and around windows.
- Mobile signal inside the rooms, not just at the gate.
- Security: gate, lighting, and who else holds a key.
Get it in writing
A tenancy agreement should state the rent, the term, the deposit amount and the conditions for returning it, who is responsible for repairs, and the notice period. Photograph the condition of every room on the day you move in and send the photos to the landlord so the record is timestamped and shared.