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Rental Apartment Scams - What's The Best Way To Protect Yourself

Posted by (Loudoun County, Va., USA) on

I found ads for several short-term apartment rentals in London, at a cost that is about half of what I paid for a hotel on my last trip there. The area (Bayswater) is one I'm familiar with, and the cost (65 GPB per night) is very attractive. But I've heard horror stories about travelers who arrive at the apartment they have supposedly rented for their vacation, only to find that they've been scammed, and the apartment is occupied by someone else who knows nothing about any short-term rental agreement.

One of the ads I saw has a "home page", with an address and phone number, but the email address in on G-Mail, and the wording of the ad leads me to believe that the person writing it is not a native Briton. (I don't mean to imply that non-natives living in the UK are somehow less trustworthy, but we all know about the Nigerian scams.)

What's the best way to go here? Is there any service in London that will check out ads like this to verify the authenticity of their claims? Also, is there any way of making advance payment to the advertiser whereby my funds will be guaranteed against fraud?

Posted by
1829 posts

Tripadvisor London Forum has a list of dos and don'ts for flat rental in London.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k1014578-Dos_and_Don_ts_for_short_term_flat_rental_in_London-London_England.html

Their Destination Experts are very good in helping to recognise red flags and sniff out dodgy ads. Don't be afraid to ask.

Advice I would offer is to be wary when asked to pay by bank transfer or money order. I only ever pay in advance by credit card, if it means letting somewhere genuine go then so be it.

Posted by
780 posts

There is a scam where the owner of the property "Offers" for you to wire the money to a "friend" of yours in the UK if you know someone there (instead of to the owners name) and then send the owner the receipt details, and have your "friend" deliver the money personalyl and pick up the key. Thing is, the Owner will have your details and will be in and out of the Western Union office with your money before your friend gets a chance to pick it up. Just an FYI to watch out for this in case someone offers that idea to you.

Posted by
3643 posts

To add to what Linda said: Do check out the Tripadvisor forum. It's a real eyeopener. Even if the apartment exists, the person posting the listing may have no connection to it. Also, you can't rely on the banks to act on complaints about being used to help the fraudsters. You don't say how big the 65 euro place is; but that's cheap, even for a studio. Red Flag! I would only use reputable agencies or personal recommendations.

Posted by
1525 posts

Intuition is useful here. Does the ad look "professional?" Is the price comperable to many other listings? is there good contact information? Are the terms (deposit, etc.) typical?

I would suggest you either use a service like http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Europe/r5.htm

...or ask for rental recommendations for a specific area, size, price range here on this helpline and others will surely chime in with a good experience they once had. I could recommend one in the Cotswolds, but not London.

And yes, it is not out of the question for a small apartment to rent for half the price of a hotel in London. It is a terrific option if it is legit.

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