Guide · Renting and leases

Avoiding Rental Scams

A friendly, practical guide to spotting fake rental listings, protecting your money and personal information, and what to do if something feels wrong.

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Where to start

Think you were scammed?
Being targeted by a scam is never your fault. Stop sending money and contact your bank right away. See what to do next.
Looking at a listing now?
Run through the checks that protect you before you pay anything.
Feeling rushed?
Pressure to decide fast is a classic warning sign. A real home will wait a day.

The short version

Rental scams hurt real people at stressful moments. Scammers count on hurry and hope, and a few calm checks protect you.

See the home in person or send someone you trust, verify the owner, and sign a written lease before paying anything.

Never pay by wire, gift card or cryptocurrency, and don’t share personal or bank details until you know the listing is real.

If you think you were scammed, contact your bank right away and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Rules about deposits and payments differ from place to place, so we’d gently encourage a quick look at the rules where your home is. If you ever have questions, we would love to help.

Four simple rules

1
See it before you pay
Visit the home in person, or have someone you trust visit, before sending any money.
2
Never wire money
The FTC warns that wire transfers, gift cards and cryptocurrency are like sending cash. Once it’s gone, it’s usually gone.
3
Verify who is who
Confirm the owner or company using contact details you find yourself, not ones from the listing.
4
Slow down if you feel rushed
Pressure to decide fast is a classic warning sign. A real home will wait a day.

Try it

Checks that protect you

From the guide’s own checklist. Tick each one as you go. These are examples; a listing may need other checks too.

0 of 8

Searched the address online for the same home under a different name, price or company
Looked up who owns the property in the county’s public property records, where available
Toured the home in person, or sent a friend or family member you trust
Contacted the company using a phone number or website you found yourself
Read and signed a written lease before paying
Paid with a traceable method, like a check or a secure payment portal, and got a receipt
No Social Security number or bank details shared before confirming the listing is real
Copied a sentence from the listing into a search engine to see if it shows up elsewhere

If you think you have been scammed

Being targeted by a scam is never your fault.
Stop sending money and stop sharing information with the person right away.
Contact your bank, card company or payment app immediately to report the fraud and ask about stopping or reversing payments.
Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to the website where you found the listing.
If you shared personal information, visit IdentityTheft.gov for step by step recovery help.
Save every message, listing screenshot and receipt.

Test yourself

How much do you remember?

4 quick questions from this guide, with a one line why for each. Totally optional, no sign in, and your answers are never saved.

From The Perfect Series

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Keep the full guide handy

The PDF has everything: everyday habits, what to do when something goes wrong, common myths, helpful resources and plenty of real-world tips. Print it, save it or share it with anyone who could use it.

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This guide shares general information to help you, and is not legal or financial advice. Bunklow does not screen listings, verify owners or handle payments.