How to recognise and avoid rental scams

Rental scams are on the rise and unfortunately, many people still fall for them. Here’s how to spot the common red flags.

It's usually fairly easy to spot a scam. Bad grammar, spelling errors and the sheer ridiculousness of the scheme should generally raise red flags. (Remember the Nigerian who was trying to raise $30-million to get his astronaut cousin, who had apparently been stuck in the International Space Station since 1990, home). However, people still get caught out all the time.

But what if the scam is well written, well thought out and sounds plausible? Rental scams are commonplace and unfortunately people get taken in all the time, losing a great deal of money in the process. A property, complete with a description and photographs, is advertised on a website. More often than not, the rent is lower than average and the photos depict a really nice-looking home.

Prospective tenants should note the following:

Don't pay any form of deposit or application fee until you have physically viewed the inside of a property.

Start asking questions if the rental is far cheaper than similar offerings in the area.

Don't be swayed by a plethora of excuses as to why the property can't be viewed.

Check and see if the agency marketing the rental property has a valid Fidelity Fund certificate.

Only look for suitable properties on reputable property portals like Private Property or on the websites of recognised agencies.

Be wary of adverts on free classified websites. Reputable agents seldom make use of this form of advertising.