How to spot hard-to-spot rental scams (2024)

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FAQs

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

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Linda Jo Reil

March 21, 2024

Glad I read this!

Alice Diamond

March 21, 2024

Great article, Ari!

Here's another wrinkle: My wife saw on Facebook a listing for an apartment in Rhode Island in a nice-looking home for a really reasonable rent. She answered the ad and a woman claiming to be the owner told her to apply right away as she needed to rent the place soon. She said an application fee of just $39 fee was the first step, payable through PayPal. One odd direction: please select the type of payment as Friend or Family. That should have been a red flag, but my wife did as asked. Then the supposed owner asked for a second fee for the spouse. My wife told me then about all this, and I said wait, tell her you need to discuss first.

I googled the name provided for the PayPal already sent and the only hit was a person in an African country. Oh no, I told my wife, tell her you can't continue and ask for the $39 back. No reply, of course. When I check the Facebook listing again, a viewer had posted a one-word comment: "scam." At least we were out just the $39, but I'm sure more fees would have been raised if we had continued. And sending a PayPal payment as Friend or Family is not refundable!

Abby

March 21, 2024

I was looking for a place for rent on Trulia and I was contacted by a text from someone who claimed that they owned the property. The phone number was from a far away state, she said right away to me that I could move in but had to pay her first! I asked her which apartment it was and all she said was that she owned the house! I was confused cuz she didn’t know the address but that she owned it. I gave her the address I was looking at and she said oh yes that’s the one, I definitely knew it was a scam because I asked her to call me and she said ok on the text but I never received a call! So I texted her back and told her she was a scammer! I never heard from her again, plus the address I gave her was for a rental property that were apartments not a house and I knew the property management! So people should always look at the property first and make sure it’s totally legit! Do your research!!!!

SUSAN SANTIAGO

March 25, 2024

Last year, I had a friend get taken by a scammer. She saw the rental house in person and lived about an hour away. Called the published number and the fraudster wanted her to wire him $2000. I kept telling her to go back to the house and talk to neighbors. She didn't and sent the con man $2000!! Of course she lost it. DO YOUR Homework first!

Kaiser.

May 23, 2024

Not sure why you say LGB+ as it doesn't only effect them. It effects everyone.

How to spot hard-to-spot rental scams (2024)

FAQs

How to spot hard-to-spot rental scams? ›

Warning signs:

At best, poor spelling and grammatical mistakes are signs of an unprofessional ad. At worst, they could be signs of a scammer looking for quick cash. Lack of detail about the property and its address. If the landlord won't supply the exact address of the rental property, it could be a scam.

How to spot a rental scammer? ›

Common signs of rental scams
  1. The listing is copied or vague. ...
  2. No lease is available. ...
  3. The address isn't verified. ...
  4. The listing agent or property manager asks you to wire money or pay in an unusual way. ...
  5. The listing agent or property manager asks for money before you sign a lease.

How to spot rental scams on Facebook marketplace? ›

Warning signs:

At best, poor spelling and grammatical mistakes are signs of an unprofessional ad. At worst, they could be signs of a scammer looking for quick cash. Lack of detail about the property and its address. If the landlord won't supply the exact address of the rental property, it could be a scam.

What scams should landlords be aware of? ›

Rental scams can affect both landlords and tenants: Vacant property scam: collecting application fees repeatedly without ever renting out the property. Fake listings: collecting fees and deposits on units that do not exist or are not for rent; often done using photos from homes previously for sale.

How to spot zillow scams? ›

How to know a rental is a scam
  1. The opportunity is too good to be true. ...
  2. Pressure to send personal information or money before you've seen the property. ...
  3. Requests to send payment using untraceable payment methods. ...
  4. The person listing the rental is unwilling to meet. ...
  5. You can't verify the property is actually for rent.
Jan 5, 2024

How to make sure a rental company is legit? ›

Here are seven common signs of rental scams and how to avoid them.
  • Rental Pictures Look Too Good to Be True. ...
  • Rental Listing Contains Errors. ...
  • You're Pressured to Lease Right Away. ...
  • You're Asked for Money Upfront. ...
  • There's No Credit Check Involved. ...
  • You Can't Tour the Property. ...
  • The Rent Is Very Low.
Jul 16, 2024

How to check if a letting agent is legitimate? ›

Make sure to use letting agencies affiliated to a recognised group (such as the UK ALA and the ARLA) and The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme. Many areas have a register for letting agents who have been prosecuted or fined, such as London's register here.

How to avoid Facebook housing scams? ›

No in-person meeting or viewing: A legitimate landlord or property manager will always be willing to meet you in person and show you the apartment. Scammers, on the other hand, will often have excuses for not being available, such as being out of the country or too busy.

How do I make sure someone is real on the marketplace? ›

Suspicious profiles: Thoroughly read the buyer's profile before going through with a deal. You should be able to view their ratings and reviews, other listings, and Marketplace activity. If the user is not local to the area or has an empty profile, that may be a warning sign that they are not who they say they are.

Are self-guided tours scams? ›

Prospective tenants are sometimes even able to tour a unit before signing a bogus lease and paying a security deposit and fees to the scammer. Rental scams have been on the rise in recent years, thanks in part to the popularity of self-guided and remote tours in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do landlords fear the most? ›

Disruptive tenants, unpaid rent, and property damage are common fears for landlords.

How common are apartment scams? ›

If you're renting an apartment, it's hard enough to find a good one without worrying about the common rental scams and bogus adverts. However, this is a common occurrence. Even the shrewdest of us can fall victim to rental scams.

Is renters ID number legit? ›

Legality:No Standard RIN Requirement: There is no standardized, legally-mandated RIN system widely recognized in the U.S. Renting typically requires standard identification documents rather than a unique identification number. IF a landlord does accept them, it would help you and they are not required to accept them.

How to know if a landlord is legit? ›

Dealing with a private landlord? Search city or county tax assessment websites to learn who owns a property, then check the landlord's ID to be sure it matches the records. If you can't get to the property in person, ask someone you trust to go and make sure it's for rent, and that it matches what was advertised.

What do the red or pink dots mean on Zillow? ›

There's a simple explanation for why homes show up as different colors in the map view on Zillow: red properties are homes you haven't clicked on, and faded red homes are the properties you have clicked on.

Can Zillow listings be fake? ›

If you find a fake housing listing on Zillow or another real estate website, click “report listing” and select the option that says the listing seems to be fraudulent or illegal. If you think you have been scammed, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

Can you spy on your tenant? ›

If you have definitive evidence that your landlord is spying on you, contact a lawyer and the authorities immediately. This behavior is an infringement on your personal rights—and most likely illegal.

How to tell if a vacation rental is legitimate? ›

Always check to see if a rental you are interested in appears on various sites online, and if the contact information is different for each one, then it's probably a scam. Also, be sure to use reputable rental listing websites like Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, booking.com, Airbnb, and Vrbo.

Why does Zillow ask for a social security number? ›

In order for you to access the detailed screening reports for applicants that have applied to your rental listing, we require that you verify your identity. This helps us protect the privacy of renters' sensitive information and comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. ID verification won't affect your credit score.

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