Increasing numbers of tenants are being targeted by rental scams, with agents warning that fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to take advantage of demand in the market.
boydensThe charity, which operates in Essex and Suffolk, says scammers are focusing on people trying to secure a home quickly, often through online platforms such as Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.
Common methods include requests for small advance payments – typically £50 to £100 – to secure a viewing that never happens, or demands for a deposit of between £800 and £1,500 to “take the property off the market”.
In some cases, fraudsters pose as private landlords or create email addresses designed to mimic established rental agencies to appear legitimate.
paul buckThe director of sales and rentals at Boydens said reports of scams, along with a reduction in available rental stock, are increasing, with some landlords moving out of the area in advance of the changes. Tenant Rights ActWhich is going to come into effect on May 1.
“I’ve been in this industry for 26 years and I never knew this issue was so widespread,” Buck said.
“Many scams involve properties that have been copied from genuine listings, are advertised at unrealistically low rents and are said to be rented by a private landlord who avoids using local agents.
“They often put heavy pressure on tenants to act quickly, using common phrases such as ‘There’s a lot of interest, so you have to pay today’ or ‘If you don’t act now the property will be gone.’ Scammers will also give reasons why a property cannot be viewed in person.
“Other red flags include being asked to pay via personal bank transfer, payment apps, gift cards or cryptocurrencies.”
Buck said: “I’ve heard from agents across the country who say the number of rental scams is increasing, but there are steps tenants can take to protect themselves.
“Our policy is to always call a tenant if their application for a property is successful and if people have any doubts, they can always come to one of our branches to meet us in person.
“Similarly, for any payments we will always call a tenant and explain the process of payment by card or bank transfer. We would also encourage tenants to use trusted sites such as one of the main property portals or the letting agent’s own site to search for properties rather than the marketplace.
“We have taken a number of steps at Boydens to tackle the threat of scams, including investing extensively in our IT support and cyber security and ensuring this issue is included in our staff training programme.”