Rental scams in London: warning signs and checks before you pay

Viewing first, but it isn't the whole check

Don't pay anything, not even a holding deposit, until you've seen the room and met the people you'd live with. A real landlord or agent expects that. But a viewing isn't enough on its own. In 2025, two women viewed a flat on Chapel Market in Islington, signed what looked like a proper agreement, and paid about £8,000 between them for a deposit and three months' rent. On moving day a cleaner told them the flat was a holiday let. The BBC reported that around 20 people were caught out using the same address (The Negotiator, February 2026).

Check who you're paying

For £7 you can download the title register from HM Land Registry, which shows who owns the property. If that name doesn't match the person you're dealing with, ask why. An agent, or a tenant who's allowed to sublet, will have a straight answer and can show it in writing. Letting agents have to belong to a redress scheme, such as The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, and you can look them up on the scheme's website. It's worth searching the address and the photos online too, because a flat that also appears on a holiday-let site is a reason to walk away. On Among Our People, members can earn an ID-verified badge by passing a document and selfie check. That tells you the person is who they say they are. It doesn't prove they own the flat or have the right to let it, so do these checks either way.

What a genuine payment looks like

Paying by bank transfer is normal. What gives a scam away is how much is asked for, and when. Whether you're a tenant or a lodger, a holding deposit is capped at one week's rent and the deposit at five weeks' (six if the yearly rent is £50,000 or more). If the landlord doesn't live there, since May 2026 they also can't ask for more than the first month's rent in advance, so three months up front, like at Chapel Market, is now a warning sign in itself. Nobody can charge you to view, or for references or admin. Pay into a UK bank account, and check that the name your bank shows when you set up the payment matches the person you're dealing with. Crypto, gift cards, cash and transfers abroad are very hard to get back. If you're moving in with the owner as a lodger, your deposit usually doesn't go into a protection scheme, so get a written receipt. Our deposit guide explains the difference.

Messages that should make you stop

"I'm working abroad, so I can't show you round, but I'll post the keys as soon as the deposit clears." No viewing, and nothing you can check.

"Three other people are viewing tomorrow. Send the holding deposit tonight and it's yours." Pressure, and money before you've seen the place.

"Please pay my colleague's account, mine has a limit on large transfers." The name won't match, and there's rarely a good reason.

"£650 a month, bills included, Zone 1, available now." Inner London rooms averaged £1,002 in the third quarter of 2026 (SpareRoom), so ask yourself why this one is so cheap.

"Can we keep it to WhatsApp? Calls are hard with the time difference." Someone who avoids a call usually has a reason.

Any one of these could be innocent. Two together, and you should stop. Our room-viewing checklist covers what to look at once you're there.

If you've already paid

1. Call your bank straight away. Dialling 159 connects you safely to most UK banks. If you sent a normal transfer to a UK account, your bank has to refund most scam victims, up to £85,000, as long as you claim within 13 months of the last payment. It may take off up to £100. International transfers, crypto, cash and gift cards aren't covered, but call anyway.
2. Report it to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025, at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
3. Report the listing to the website or app where you found it, so it comes down before it catches someone else.
4. Keep everything: the messages, screenshots of the ad, receipts, names and account details.
5. Be wary of anyone who gets in touch offering to recover your money for a fee.

If it's happened to you, it isn't your fault, and you're far from the first.