Are you concerned about renting a room and fear of fraud, scam or other issues?
Whilst the majority of Landlords registered with us are genuine and trustworthy, we always advise caution when searching for a room, arranging viewings and of course making your first payments. We do check all registrations and adverts but in some cases, it is very difficult to spot certain issues.
Therefore, we have put together a short list to help you stay safe and identify any possible issues that may arise. If you are worried about any advert, conversation or correspondence, please Contact Us with any concerns. Also, alongside all Adverts we provide a
'Report This Advert' button. This allows you to quickly report any issues which you feel concerned about. We will always investigate any such reports and provide feedback where possible.For your own safety and security, both physically and in a financial sense, we recommend you take heed of these very simple tips.
- NEVER make any payments to potential landlords PRIOR TO VIEWING the property or agreeing a contract
- Ask to see a Landlords' proof of ID, preferably photo ID before agreeing a contract.
- If possible check the landlord is registered to the property address. Check with Land Registry for ownership details and property Title
- If a landlord refuses to meet you, (or allow a viewing) possibly suggesting they are out of the country, they should generally have an Agent or others dealing with the property. DO NOT transfer money in these circumstances.
- Remember, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is!
- We recommend conversing using our messaging system initially. If the landlord refuses, be wary of their motives.
- Always try to be accompanied on a viewing.
- If you suspect any fraudulent activity, please Contact Us with as much information as possible.
What Should We Look For to Avoid Issues
Many scam attempts will transpire from a foreign country as these individuals or groups are very difficult to track down and bring to justice. One sign of a scam attempt is poor grammar when corresponding.
An advert may seem too good to be true with the property in a highly sought after area but the rent amount quite low to tempt enquiries. This should be of immediate concern that the advert may not be genuine. For example, a complete apartment in Central London with a rent of £800.00 per calendar month is likely to be fake.
So what possible scam or fraud attempts should we be aware of?
One potential scam which we are aware of is where a 'Landlord' claims to be out of the country and can't arrange a viewing.
They may claim to have had time wasted by others looking for accommodation and therefore are unwilling to allow a viewing before a deposit or first months rent is paid.
We always recommend initial conversations be carried out through our messaging system so we have some way of tracking or monitoring proceedings should they not be as they seem. After initial conversations the 'Landlord' or Scammer will attempt to move to Whatsapp, email or other method of messaging.
The conversation may go something like this, with initial introductions before then attempting to acquire funds:
"Thank you for your email regarding our apartment from [Address Inserted], It is a studio flat, WiFi, TV, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, and 1 parking place.The monthly rent is £800 which includes all the utilities - water, electricity and internet.You can go anytime and check the area and the surroundings to see if the location suits your needs. Could you tell us for how long are you looking to stay and how many persons ?"
As you can see with the facilities and rent amount this is quite obviously a fake advert.
After a reply by the prospective tenant, the conversation continues:
"Hi again,
1 month rent + 1 month deposit = £1600
I know that the asking rent is lesser then the average price requested in that area but not using a letting agent and not paying fees and commissions allows me to ask a lower rental price than others.The apartment was bought by me in 2013, I lived there until 2015 when my job contract was over and I returned home to Switzerland. I have the house keys with me. When I do find a reliable tenant I will return to London to show the house and complete the lease agreement.
Please let me know if you are seriously interested.
Sincerely,"
While not all landlords are UK citizens, the grammar itself should be a further warning sign.
The scammer may then go on to discuss payment methods. They could refer to Booking.com, AirBnB or other platform. Any links will almost certainly be to a phishing website which will have the appearance of the genuine site but set up by the scammer with the specific intent of stealing bank and payment details along with personal data:
Like I already said in my first email, my current location is Switzerland. Unfortunately, lately I have had bad experiences with prospective tenants so that it happened for me to travel to London for nothing which involved a complete waste of time and efforts. Having received proofs from tenants according with they being interested in renting (passport, job contracts showing their earnings, bank statements) proved to be ineffective for my certainty. Some tenants tend to put additional conditions even if they had not been discussed previously or worse, they sometimes still try to negotiate after traveling back to Switzerland. Some of them also asked me to wait until the end of the month for them to get paid. I hope my explanation is enough for you to understand my point of view and why I chose Booking.com.
In my previous renting deals I have used booking.com and it was very fast and safe for both of us!
The apartment is among the few which won the prize of excellence offered by Booking.com in 2016.
Let me know if you know about Booking.com and I if you are ready to rent the apartment for the first month. That is my certainty guarantee and the only way I can come to London.
I have sent you a copy of my passport and more details about me.
Hope you understand.
Thank you and I'm waiting for your response.
This is an actual conversation between a potential tenant and scammer. Along with the conversation this particular scammer also provided an image of a passport which was highly likely to be fake or stolen so extra care should be taken.
Warning Signs Before Agreeing To Rent
Please look out for the warning signs which would be:
- Asking to message by other means so no form of monitoring
- Really poor English and grammar
- Room or property which is well below market value
- Asking for funds before agreeing to a viewing or meeting
- Suggesting they are out of the country and unable to arrange a viewing
There are of course numerous other scam possibilities but this seems to be one of the most prevalent. Please be aware and report any issues that may be of concern.
We would like to hear of any experiences you may have had, whether that be through any dealings on RoomsForLet or other providers. If you would like to share your experiences, please submit our form here.
Over time we will post more articles of other potential scams we are made aware of.
Whilst these issues may be concerning, they shouldn't put you off searching for the right room and property. We hope to make you aware of potential issues so you don't fall victim and can be confident n your dealings with landlords. Fore armed is forewarned!
If you are looking for a room to rent, please register as a tenant and create your requirements. Good luck in your search.