There are three things to look for to avoid a rental scam. Is this property genuine? Is the individual renting it out a real person? Is it legal to ask for payment? Alarming signs include a price significantly below the local rate, little chance to visit the home, pressure to pay quickly and requests for cash, gift cards, bitcoin or a personal bank account.
The following guide lays out the most frequent rental scams, warning signs, and easy inspections you can undertake in minutes. You will also learn about what payments are legal in England and what to do if things go wrong.
What Is a Rent Scam?
A rental scam is when someone takes your money for a home that doesn’t exist, isn’t available or isn’t theirs to rent. Rental scams usually start with a request for an upfront fee, after which the fraudster stops answering.
Anyone could be caught out. It’s even easier if you’re searching from another city or country and can’t go there yourself.
The Most Common Rental Scams in the UK
Fake listings
The advert shows a lovely apartment at a great price. The trouble is that the home may not exist, or it may not be for rent at all. Scammers often copy photos and details from real listings to build fake ones.
Cloned listings
In a cloned listing, the scammer takes a real advert, lowers the rent, and swaps in their own contact details. The address is real, so the ad looks trustworthy.
The “landlord abroad” story
The “owner” says they live overseas, so they cannot show you around. They promise to post the keys once you pay. The keys never arrive, and the owner stops replying.
Fake letting agents
Some scammers copy the name, logo, and website of a real agency. They may change one letter in the web address or use a free email account instead of a company one.
Fee scams
You are asked to pay “admin”, “reference”, or “viewing” fees. In England, most extra fees are banned, including fees for reference checks.
Double-letting and unauthorised sub-letting
Someone who does not own the home rents it out, or the same home is rented to several people at once. You pay, then arrive on moving day to find another person already there.
Fake short-stay and serviced apartment bookings
Scammers set up copycat websites or social media pages for holiday lets and serviced apartments. They ask you to pay outside the booking site, then vanish.
10 Warning Signs of a Rental Scam
- The rent is far below similar homes. Compare the price with other listings in the same street or area.
- You cannot view the property. Real landlords and agents want you to see the place. Excuses like “I’m travelling” or “the keys are with a courier” are a bad sign.
- You are rushed. Lines like “five people are ready to pay today” are designed to stop you from checking.
- You must pay before you see the home or read the contract. Never send money on trust alone.
- The payment method is odd. Cash, gift cards, crypto, and money transfer services are all warning signs. So is a personal account when you are told you are paying a company.
- The person avoids calls. If they only use WhatsApp, text, or email, and dodge a phone or video call, be careful.
- They ask for personal documents too early. Passport scans and bank statements should not be needed before you have viewed the property.
- The details do not match. Check for a different address in the advert, a free email account instead of a company one, or photos with another agent’s watermark.
- The messages feel copied. Generic replies, odd spelling, or answers that ignore your questions can mean a scammer is working from a script.
- They want to move you off the listing site. If someone asks you to leave Rightmove, Zoopla, or OnTheMarket and chat somewhere else, ask why.
How to Check If a Rental Listing Is Real
- Search the address online. Use the address and photos in the listing to look for other information about the property. If the same home appears with a different agent or price, be suspicious.
- Run a reverse image search. Upload the photos to Google Images or Google Lens. If they appear on other sites, the advert may be copied.
- Compare the rent. Look at similar apartments nearby. A big gap is a warning sign.
- Look at Street View. Check that the building outside matches the photos and the description.
- Book a viewing. Visit in person, or send someone you trust. If you are arranging a home from overseas, Report Fraud suggests asking your employer or university for advice.
- Check who owns it. For homes in England and Wales, you can get the property’s title register from HM Land Registry for a small fee. It shows the owner’s name, so you can see if it matches the person you are dealing with.
How to Check a Letting Agent or Landlord
- Ask which redress scheme the agent uses. Letting agents in England must belong to a government-approved scheme, such as The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme. Look them up on the scheme’s own website.
- Check for client money protection. A client money protection scheme must cover agents who hold tenants’ money.
- Look for Propertymark. Membership is voluntary, but it shows an agent follows a code of conduct. Confirm it on the Propertymark website.
- Search Companies House. Check that the company exists, is active, and has the same address as the one in the advert.
- Call the office yourself. Use the phone number on the agency’s official website, not the one in a message or email.
- Ask a private landlord for proof. They should be able to show they own the home or have permission to let it. Match the name to the Land Registry record.
What Payments Are Legal When Renting in England?
Knowing the rules helps you spot a fake request fast. In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 control what you can be asked to pay for most private tenancies.
| Payment | What the rules say |
| Holding deposit | It cannot be more than one week’s rent, and it must be refunded or put toward your first rent under the legal rules. |
| Security deposit | The limit is five weeks’ rent if yearly rent is under £50,000, and six weeks’ rent if it is £50,000 or more. Your landlord must protect it in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS) within 30 days. |
| Rent in advance | For new tenancies starting on or after 1 May 2026, the most a landlord can ask for upfront is one month’s rent. Rent should not be taken before the tenancy agreement is signed. |
| Reference, admin, or check-out fees | These are banned. |
How to Pay Safely
- Pay only after you have seen the property and read the agreement.
- Check that the account name matches the agent, company, or landlord named in your paperwork.
- Confirm bank details by phone, using a number you found yourself.
- Avoid cash, gift cards, crypto, and money transfer services.
- Keep every receipt, email, and message.
- Ask for your deposit protection certificate, then check it on the scheme’s website.
Scam Risks When Booking a Short-Term or Serviced Apartment
Short stays come with their own tricks. If you are booking a place in London for a few weeks or months, keep these points in mind:
- Book through an official website or a well-known booking platform. Check that the web address is spelled correctly and starts with https.
- Be careful with social media and WhatsApp-only offers. Real companies have a website, a business address, and a phone number.
- Never pay outside the platform. A request like “pay me directly to save fees” is a classic trick.
- Search the company name on Companies House. Confirm it is real and active.
- Read reviews on more than one site. A few glowing reviews on a single page can be faked.
- Get the price, cancellation rules, and payment terms in writing before you pay.
Final Thoughts
Rental scams work by creating both a sense of stress and confidence. Slow down. Check the property. Check the person. Check the payment. If anything is wrong, it generally is.
If you’d rather avoid the hassle, MyLondonHop has fully serviced apartments and penthouses in Central London, including Mayfair, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Canary Wharf and Marylebone. You can view our apartments and negotiate the terms of your booking prior to payment.