"Many scams involve properties that have been copied from genuine listings, are advertised at unrealistically low rents and are said to be let by a private landlord who avoids using local agents"
- Paul Buck - Boydens
Tenants are falling victim to rental scams at an increasing rate, with fraudsters deploying ever more sophisticated tactics to exploit renters desperate to secure a home.
Essex and Suffolk lettings agent Boydens has warned that scammers are using marketplaces such as Gumtree and Facebook to target prospective tenants. Common tactics include demanding an upfront payment of £50 to £100 to express interest before a viewing that never materialises, or requesting a holding deposit of £800 to £1,500 to take a property off the market.
Fraudsters typically pose as private landlords or, in some cases, set up email addresses designed to mimic those of legitimate local agents.
"I have been in the industry for 26 years, and I have never known the issue to be this widespread," said Paul Buck, director of sales and lettings at Boydens.
"Many scams involve properties that have been copied from genuine listings, are advertised at unrealistically low rents and are said to be let by a private landlord who avoids using local agents."
"They often put tenants under huge pressure to act quickly, with common phrases being 'there is lots of interest, so you need to pay today' or 'the property will be gone unless you act now'. Scammers will also come up with reasons why a property can't be viewed in person."
"Other red flags include being asked to pay via personal bank transfers, payment apps, gift cards or cryptocurrency."
The problem is worsening as available rental stock declines, a trend partly linked to landlords selling up ahead of the Renters' Rights Act, which comes into force on 1 May. Under existing law, it is illegal for landlords or agents to charge tenants for applying to rent a property, viewing a property, or covering administration costs.
Buck says agents across the country are reporting the same pattern. "I have heard from agents across the country who say the number of rental scams is on the rise, but there are steps that tenants can take to protect themselves."
"We have a policy of always calling a tenant if their application for a property has been successful, and if people have any doubts, they can always come into one of our branches to see us in person."
"Similarly, with any payments, we will always call a tenant and explain the process with payments by card or bank transfer. We would also encourage tenants to use trusted sites, such as one of the main property portals or a lettings agent's own site, to search for properties rather than marketplaces."
Buck concluded, "We have taken several steps at Boydens to combat the threat of scams, including investing extensively in our IT support and cyber security, and ensuring the issue is covered within our staff training programme."
