Spotting rental scams: 9 red flags

Why is there so much scamming in the room market?

In a tight market people are willing to act fast, and that is exactly the haste scammers abuse. They post an attractive listing, create time pressure ('lots of interest'), and ask for a payment before you have seen anything.

The pattern is almost always the same: a nice room for a suspiciously low price, a landlord who cannot be there in person, and a request to pay up front. Once you know the pattern, you see straight through it.

What are the 9 red flags?

One red flag is already reason for suspicion. Several at once: stop.

• •The price is clearly below the median rent for that city.
• •The landlord is 'abroad' and cannot show the room in person.
• •You are pushed to decide or pay quickly.
• •Payment is required up front, before a viewing or contract.
• •You are asked to pay via instant transfer, gift cards, crypto or a foreign account.
• •The landlord only wants to chat or email and avoids calls or meeting.
• •The photos look professional but appear elsewhere online.
• •The contract is missing, incomplete or full of language errors.
• •You are promised the key 'by post' after payment instead of at a handover.

Which payment methods are a red flag?

Trustworthy landlords use an ordinary bank transfer or iDEAL to a Dutch account, and only after you have signed. Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash up front or a transfer abroad are classic fraud signals, because that money is almost impossible to recover.

What do you do if you have been scammed?

Act fast. Contact your bank immediately to see whether the payment can still be stopped or recovered. Report the fraud to the Fraudehelpdesk and file a report with the police; keep all messages, listings and payment proof as evidence.