Staying safe

Last updated 5 October 2026

Most people on RentAProperty are looking for a home to rent, or a tenant for one, like you. A few are not. These habits keep you safe.

Never pay before a viewing

• Never send rent, a deposit, a holding deposit or any fee before you have viewed the home in person. If you cannot go, ask someone you trust to view it for you.
• RentAProperty never holds money, never takes payments, and never asks you to pay through us or through a "secure" service in our name.
• Be wary of anyone who says they are abroad and will post you the keys, who cannot show you inside, or who pushes you to decide quickly.

Holding deposits, deposits and fees

• A holding deposit reserves a home while the landlord or agent does their checks, once you have viewed it and you both want to go ahead. In England it can be no more than one week's rent. Get in writing what it is for and when you will get it back.
• Your tenancy deposit must be protected: in England and Wales in a government-approved scheme, and in Northern Ireland in an approved scheme. Your landlord or agent must tell you which scheme it is in; check with the scheme that it is registered.
• In England a deposit can be at most five weeks' rent, or six weeks' rent if the annual rent is £50,000 or more; in Northern Ireland, at most one month's rent. In England and Wales, tenants cannot be charged for viewings, referencing, credit checks or admin.

Check who you are dealing with

• Letting agents' adverts show the agency's name, branch address, redress scheme and client money protection scheme. We verify each agency before its adverts go public, and you can check its membership with the scheme itself.
• If a private landlord says they own the home, you can check the owner's name with HM Land Registry for a home in England or Wales.
• In England, landlords and agents must check that every adult tenant has the right to rent before the tenancy starts. That check is normal; a demand for documents before a viewing is not.

Protect your documents

• Do not send copies of your passport, ID card or bank details before you have viewed the home and agreed to go ahead.
• When you do share them, cover what is not needed, such as your document number, where you can.

Scams to watch for

• Advance fees: a "reservation fee", "holding fee" or deposit asked for before a viewing, often with a story about being abroad.
• Copied adverts: photos or text copied from another advert, or a rent far below similar homes nearby.
• Fake payment services: a link to a "secure deposit" or escrow service, or a request to pay by gift card, cryptocurrency or money transfer to someone you have not met.
• For landlords and agents: a tenant who offers months of rent up front without a viewing, or who overpays and asks for the difference back.

If the details change, or the story does not add up, stop and ask.

Keep talking on RentAProperty at first

Messages here are checked for common scams, and you can report and block from any conversation. Move to phone or email only when you are comfortable.

Viewings

• Tell someone where you are going, and go in daylight if you can.
• Check that the person showing you round has keys and knows the home.
• Get the tenancy agreement in writing, and read it before you pay anything, sign or move in.

If something feels wrong

Report it: from the advert or the conversation (you can report the advert, the messages or the person), or on the report page. We look at every report. If you have lost money, contact your bank straight away and report it to the police.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.