I check out plenty of tenants for landlords, but just as often I get the call the other way round — a tenant who’s about to hand over a deposit and wants to know the person on the other end of the email is actually who they say they are. And honestly, they’re right to ask. Rental fraud is one of the steadier streams of work that comes my way, particularly with people moving for a new job, relocating to a city they don’t know, or just trying to secure a place fast in a market where good properties don’t sit around for long.
Why I Think Tenants Should Be Checking Landlords
The rental market makes this easy for fraudsters to exploit. Demand is high, people are under pressure to move quickly, and most of the searching happens online through listings that can be copied, faked, or dressed up to look exactly like the real thing. I’ve seen cases where someone’s paid a deposit and a month’s rent to a person who had no connection whatsoever to the property — and once that money’s gone, getting it back is an uphill battle at best.
What I Actually Check
Who really owns the place. I go straight to the Land Registry to confirm the person letting the property is genuinely the registered owner, or that they’ve got proper, documented authority to act for the owner — for example, as a managing agent with an agreement in place.
Whether they are who they say they are. Basic but essential — I verify the landlord or agent’s identity properly, rather than taking what’s on the listing at face value.
Whether the agent is legitimate. If there’s a letting agent involved, I check they’re signed up to a recognised redress scheme — The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme — which they’re legally required to be in England, and that they actually hold proper client money protection.
Whether your deposit will be protected. I confirm any deposit you pay will go into a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme, which is a legal requirement, not optional.
Their wider history. I look at whatever’s publicly available about the landlord or agent — past complaints, enforcement action, anything that bears on whether they’re who and what they claim to be.
Signs That Make Me Want to Look Closer
- Being pushed to pay a deposit or holding fee fast, often before you’ve even seen the property
- A landlord who won’t meet you or show you round themselves, always with a reason — usually that they’re abroad
- Being asked to pay in an unusual way — an overseas wire transfer, crypto, or gift cards
- The same listing popping up on different sites with slightly different details, which often means it’s been lifted from somewhere genuine
- Any hesitation when you ask reasonably for proof of ownership or agency authority
What I’d Tell Anyone Renting Right Now
Don’t hand over a deposit or any significant sum until you’ve seen the property in person, or at the very least done a proper, verified video viewing if travelling isn’t possible, and you’ve confirmed the landlord or agent is genuinely who they say they are. Spending a small amount on a proper check before committing serious money to a new tenancy is a sensible step, especially for higher-value properties or anywhere you’re under pressure to move fast.
Want me to verify a landlord or letting agent before you sign anything? Get in touch with Adley Barton for a confidential check.
