Updated: June 22 | The Trulia Team
It’s so exciting to come across an incredible deal during your search. So much so that you can accidentally walk into a rental scam. While most rental listings are legitimate, rental scams are out there and are not always easy to spot.
In many ways, rental scams have gotten more convincing in recent years. Scammers can use AI-generated photos, real lockbox codes, and polished social media listings that look nearly identical to legitimate ones. The FTC reported nearly 65,000 rental scams between 2020 and mid-2025, with losses totaling about $65 million. That is an average loss of $1,000.
This guide walks you through a few things you can do to spot and avoid a rental scam. Three helpful ways to avoid scams are: taking the steps to confirm that you are working with the verified landlord or owner, seeing the property before paying, and using a traceable payment method.
Common red flags:
- Property is too good to be true: For example, a listing with a price that is noticeably below market rate for the area.
- You can’t find the property on other sites: The property isn’t listed for rent anywhere else.
- Paying for access to a listing site: For example, sites that offer access to curated rental lists that they claim cannot be found elsewhere.
- Asked to pay before visiting the property: You shouldn’t need to pay a deposit or fee before seeing a rental in person.
- Asked to pay with an untraceable payment method: Legitimate landlords typically accept checks or traceable payment.
- Asked to provide personal information before touring: A request for your Social Security number before you’ve even toured a property is a warning sign of identity theft, not just a deposit scam.
- The landlord or property manager won’t meet in person: A legitimate landlord typically arranges for someone to show the unit before moving forward with deposits or the lease.
How can I spot a rental scam?
Below are seven common red flags of a rental scam.
1. The property is too good to be true
One of the most common setups starts with a real apartment or house for rent. A scammer finds a legitimate listing, copies the photos and description, and replaces the contact information with their own. Then they post it somewhere else, usually at a lower price to attract interest quickly. The property, photos, and description are real. But that does not mean that the person you are talking to actually manages the unit.
Many legitimate landlords use lockbox systems and self-tour services. These let prospective tenants walk through vacant units without an agent present. But a scammer can copy the tour instructions for these listings and send you an access code. When you go to the address, the code works, and you can walk through the apartment.
Everything can feel legitimate. But it is important to remember that simply getting inside the property doesn’t confirm that you are speaking with the person who has the authority to rent that property.
2. You can’t find the property on other sites
Another set up involves the scammer creating a rental listing from scratch. The listing may be entirely fake. It may also be a real home that is not for rent. The home may even be vacant, which allows the scammer to set up showings of the home.
3. Listing site is too good to be true
Before your search even begins, you may encounter services offering to sell access to curated rental lists, often marketed around rent-to-own homes or pre-foreclosure properties at below-market prices. The services offering these lists charge a sign-up fee or a monthly subscription for access.
These lists are generally outdated or simply made up. The properties on them are often unavailable, already sold, or fake.
Rental listings on reputable platforms are free to browse. On Trulia, you can search active rentals. You shouldn’t have to pay anyone for that kind of access.
4. Asked to Pay Before Visiting the Property
Scammers can create urgency. You may hear that another applicant is interested, the unit will be gone by the weekend, and the landlord is leaving town and needs to settle things today.The pressure is designed to get money moving before you’ve had time to think. Legitimate landlords do not require a deposit or an application fee before a viewing, even in competitive markets where units move fast.
5. Asked to Pay with an Untraceable Payment Method
The payment method can be a red flag. Wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency are irreversible. Once the money is gone, there is no chargeback or practical way to recover it. A real landlord typically accepts a check or a traceable online payment. If a landlord insists on a wire transfer to “hold the unit,” that’s a signal to step back.
6. Asked to Provide Personal Information Before Touring
Not every rental scam is about stealing a deposit. Sometimes the application itself is the goal.
A scammer may post a well-priced listing and build rapport over a few messages. Eventually, they ask you to prove your creditworthiness before seeing the property. They might ask you to pay a fee to complete a credit check. In addition to the fee, doing so may result in the site collecting your name, address, social security number, and date of birth, which is enough to open accounts in your name.
A legitimate landlord does credit checks through a formal application process, typically after touring the property and deciding it is a good fit. If a landlord directs you to a credit check site or a rental application before you’ve toured the property, treat it as a warning.
7. Landlord or Property Manager Won’t Meet In Person
The landlord or property manager says they are unable to meet, and instead want to deal over email or are happy to receive the deposit by mail. Even if the email chains are warm and plausible, it is a red flag if you are unable to meet in person. A legitimate landlord typically arranges for someone to show the unit before moving forward with deposits or the lease.
How can I avoid rental scams?
Check multiple sites: Search the property address online and check whether it appears with different prices or contact information on other sites. If you find the home listed with different prices, contact information, or information on other sites (for example, listed for sale rather than for rent), that is a red flag strong signal.
Check the landlord against public records: County tax assessor websites often offer a public property search tool. You can search the address and note who the listed owner is. If you’re dealing with an individual landlord, the name should match.
Verify the property management company or agent: If the property is rented out by a property management company, you can search that company on the internet and find reviews. If you are speaking to an agent, you can also ask for their real estate license number and search it online.
Searching the landlord or property manager’s name alongside words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam” can surface warnings left by previous targets.
Visit the property in person: So you can see if the property really matches the listing, and get a sense for whether it is really for rent and whether the person with whom you are speaking has access to the property. However, bear in mind that it is possible for a scammer to provide access to a listing by gaining false access to a lockbox.
Meet the landlord in person: Most legitimate landlords either show the property themselves or arrange for someone to show the property to you.
Do not pay before visiting the property: Legitimate landlords do not ask you to pay a deposit or application fee before touring the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on how you paid. Credit card payments have some chargeback protection that makes recovery possible. Wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency typically don’t.
Most private landlords are legitimate. The same precautions apply regardless of whether you are renting from a private landlord or a larger company: confirming ownership before paying, seeing the property before any money changes hands, and using a traceable payment method.
