Renting a home should be an exciting new chapter — not a costly mistake. Sadly, rental fraud is on the rise in the UK. In fact, Action Fraud reports that rental scams cost victims over £1 million per month, with students and first-time renters among the hardest hit.
If you’re looking for a new place, here are 6 essential tips to protect yourself from rental fraud.
At Tenantlab.co.uk we support honest Landlords and agents but would like to rid the industry or rogue operators.
1. Don’t Pay Until You’ve Seen the Property
Scammers often advertise properties that don’t exist — or that they don’t have the right to let. If someone is pressuring you to pay a deposit before a viewing, walk away.
✅ Real landlords will always allow you to view first.
2. Check the Landlord’s Identity
If you are dealing directly with a Landlord ask for ID and proof of ownership before you sign a contract or send any funds. You can verify their ownership through the Land Registry.
If you are dealing with a letting agent then make sure they are registered with a redress scheme (e.g., The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme). They also need to be a member of the CMP (Client Money Protection) Scheme. All reputable agents will be registered.
Tenant Lab UK do not work with any Landlords that we have not verified and agents that are not properly registered. We can help you verify a Landlord if you need. Just ask them to register their property with us and we can confirm the checks to you.
3. Use Trusted Rental Platforms
Avoid listings from obscure websites or social media without vetting them first. Use trusted portals like:
- Rightmove
- Zoopla
- OpenRent
- Tenantlab.co.uk
These platforms require that certain checks be passed in order for an agent or owner to list a property. If you are using other sites or Social Media then you should check the property is advertised on one of these portals. If it is not then do futher checks.
4. Beware of “Too Good to Be True” Deals
If the rent is far below the going rate in your area, be cautious. Scammers use bargain prices to lure people in. You always need to ask yourself why the property is a “bargain”. If you can’t see the reason then it is probably not real.
📌 Pro tip: Compare similar listings nearby. If it’s way cheaper, there’s probably a catch.
5. No Tenancy Agreement No Deal
No paperwork? That’s a red flag. A proper tenancy agreement protects both tenant and landlord and is required for legal occupancy. We don’t manage tenancies without an agreement. Why would you?
6. Be suspicious or non-standard payment requests
Never pay in cash and never send money via Western Union, MoneyGram, or cryptocurrency. Once the money’s gone, it’s gone. If the Landlord or Agent is asking for payment that seems suspicious our advice is to walk away.
6. Don’t fall for pressure tactics
Unscupulous operators will use every trick in the book to try and pressure you into not performing the checks you should.
Conclusion
Remember that this is a big decision. It is always better to risk losing a property that may not even exist than to lost your money.
If you need help, register with us. And encourage your Landlord to register as well. We would love to rid the sector of bad actors and to keep tenants safe from fraudsters.
Tenant Lab UK 
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