IN the past few weeks, we have encountered scammers trying to rent rooms in houses that do not exist, warns Streets2Homes and Reverend Jokey Poyntz.

“With fifty people going to each viewing just for a room, scammers are exploiting people’s desperation and demanding deposits for properties that simply do not exist” says Kerrie Eastman, Streets2Homes CEO.

“The biggest warning we can give is,” Kerrie continues “if it feels too good to be true, it is. Make sure that the websites you are seeing properties listed on are reputable, like Rightmove, Open Rent and Spare Room – who have to adhere to legal requirements. Don’t go for sites like Facebook or TripAdvisor.

“We have reported these scams as we encounter them but please don’t find out the hard way, once you have handed over your deposit or rent in advance. Always insist on seeing the property first.”

Some of the warning signs to look out for, according to this article on Which? include:
If you are asked to make a payment before viewing a property, it’s a scam.

Photos lifted from other listings – scammers don’t have a property to give you so they won’t have their own photos to show you. If you’re not sure if a listing is real, you can reverse-search the images in your browser, right clicking and selecting search by image. You can also do this by uploading your image to tineye.com. This will tell you if the photos come from them, or another source. 


Check the payee name. Even if you get to view a property, it doesn’t mean the deal is genuine – scammers can get access to properties they don’t own in order to create bogus viewings.

There are ways to check this. If a property is advertised to be let through an agency, contact their office first and check it’s one of their listings.

If it’s a private landlord, you could check if they are listed on Harlow Council’s landlord licensing scheme.

Ask to see proof of identity. When it comes to paying a deposit, make sure the payee name matches the landlord. Otherwise it’s likely to be a scam.

“I have worked with a couple who have been caught out by this,” says Reverend Jokey Poyntz. “The tenancy agreement looked legit and they only found out when they had been in the property for a while and Harlow Council called to say they shouldn’t be living there.”

As Kerrie Eastman says: “If it feels too good to be true, it is.”