What Is A Rental Scam?
Rental scams can be quite varied but generally it is when a fraudster leases out a property that they do not own.
Sometimes people can pay a deposit for a house or flat online that has been put on a fake website.
On other occasions, a scammer will lease a property, list it on sites like Rightmove and then rent it out as if they owned it.
They will then take deposits and upfront rents before disappearing.
Some people will even move in to a property and it can be weeks before they find out it was a con.
Victims often blame themselves – but it is not your fault.
National Fraud Helpline is here to help you recover your financial losses in as quick and pain-free a way as possible.
Contact National Fraud Helpline on 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.
How To Avoid Falling Victim To Rent Scam
Rental scams tend to be run by sophisticated scammers.
However, there are a few simple checks you can make to help avoid falling victim to rental scams.
- Search the internet for your property. Very often rent scammers will copy photos of genuine properties that are on a website. These may be copied from holiday rental websites like Airbnb or Booking.com. If you spot that the property you want to rent is on a holiday site then it should ring alarm bells.
- Do not presume because a property is on a recognised website that checks have been made. Websites such as Rightmove will rely on agents to carry out checks to make sure that rental properties are genuine. It is up to the rental company to do its due diligence but some do not.
- Check on the Land Registry. To find who is the registered owner of the property costs just £3. Ask the rental agent for a copy or download it yourself. This is a very simple check. You can download here: Land Registry.
- Don’t be afraid to ask. Renting property is not cheap. For many people it’s one of their biggest expenses. Ask lots of questions and don’t be embarrassed. A genuine landlord will be happy to give you the reassurance you need.
National Fraud Helpline Appears on BBC 1 To Talk About Rent Fraud
Our senior partner Martin Richardson was asked to appear on BBC 1’s Morning Live show to talk about the dangers of rental fraud and how to avoid becoming a victim.
One of our client’s also appeared on the programme who had lost £19,000 on a London rent scam.
We managed to recover all of her money.
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