Action Fraud reports that the average housing rental scam victim in the UK loses £1,400 and scams typically occur when would-be tenants are tricked into paying an upfront rent fee to rent a property.
Rental scams typically involve a criminal posing as a landlord or property manager to make potential renters pay money for a property that isn’t available, doesn’t exist, or isn’t theirs to rent out.
With so much of today’s property hunt taking place online there’s a real opportunity for scammers to capitalise on unsuspecting tenants. The victim loses the upfront fee they have paid and is not able to rent the property that they thought they had secured.
These scams can occur in various ways.
- Phantom Rentals: Listings for properties that don’t exist or aren’t for rent. Criminals pull you in with attractive photos and great deals.
- Hijacked Ads: Criminals copy legitimate rental ads and change the contact details, directing inquiries to themselves instead of the rightful owner.
- Bait-and-Switch: The property advertised is unavailable, but the criminal offers a different, often inferior, property.
To avoid rental scams, watch out for these common warning signs:
- Low rent: If the rent is significantly lower than other properties in the area, be cautious.
- Upfront Payments: Be wary of landlords who ask for money upfront before seeing the property, especially if they request payment via a bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.
- No In-Person Meetings: Criminals often avoid face-to-face meetings. If the "landlord" is unable or unwilling to meet you in person or show you the property, this is a warning sign.
- High-Pressure Tactics: Criminals may pressure you to act quickly, claiming there are other interested people or that the offer is available for a limited time only.
- Incomplete or Vague Information: Legitimate listings provide detailed information. Be suspicious of ads with limited photos, vague descriptions, or errors and if it’s not a private landlord but a Lettings or Estate agent they are required by law to belong to a consumer redress scheme.
If you need advice you can contact the Citizens Advice Bureau or if you have been scammed please contact the Shared Trading Standards Service on 01635 519930 or email us at tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk in addition to contacting Action Fraud.
