How to verify a rental listing is real before you send money
A rental listing is real when three things line up: the photos are not lifted from another listing, the person contacting you actually controls the property, and you can see the unit, in person or on a live video call, before any money changes hands. If you cannot confirm at least two of those independently of the listing itself, stop before you pay.
How can I tell if a rental listing is fake?
Most fake listings share the same pattern: a price noticeably below comparable units nearby, a landlord or agent who will not meet in person or get on a video call, and pressure to send money before you have seen the unit. About half of rental scams reported to the FTC in the year ending June 2025 started with a fake ad on Facebook, and 16 percent started on Craigslist (FTC, December 2025). People ages 18 to 29 were three times more likely than other adults to report losing money to one.
Red flags that show up together, not just one:
- 1The rent is well below similar units in the same neighborhood, with no explanation.
- 2The person listing the unit refuses a live video call and will only text or email.
- 3They ask you to wire money, pay by gift card, or send cash through a person-to-person app before you have toured the unit.
- 4The photos look generic or staged, with no sign of a specific address, neighborhood, or building.
- 5They rush you, citing other applicants or a deadline that expires the same day.
How do I reverse image search a rental listing's photos?
Right-click any listing photo on desktop and choose the option to search the image, or upload it to Google Images, Bing Visual Search, or TinEye. If the same photos turn up under a different address, a different city, or a different contact name, the listing you're looking at is likely stolen (reverse image search guidance is a standard FTC-recommended check).
This check has a limit. Scammers who expect a reverse image search sometimes crop, mirror, or slightly recolor photos to dodge an exact match. Treat a clean reverse image search as one data point, not proof the listing is legitimate on its own, and pair it with the ownership check below.
How do I find out who actually owns the property?
Search the property address on your county assessor's or recorder's public site. Most U.S. counties publish parcel records online for free, including the property's classification, tax status, and often the name on record (Public Records Online Directory). If the name on the listing does not match the name on the parcel, ask why before you go further.
In Los Angeles County, the Assessor Portal lets you search by address or parcel number and confirms whether the property is a real, currently classified residential parcel matching the address you were given. The public portal does not display the owner's name directly; for a name, you would need the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's index or an in-person request at the Assessor's office. Confirming the parcel itself is still useful: it tells you the address is real and correctly zoned, which a fully fabricated listing often gets wrong.
Is it normal to pay before I have toured the unit?
No, and this is where the FTC is direct: do not pay for a rental you have not seen, whether that means an in-person tour or a live video walkthrough with someone you trust (FTC consumer guidance). Application fees tied to a background check, disclosed in writing and paid to a named company, are a normal part of renting. A deposit or first month's rent requested before any viewing is not.
If you are relocating from out of state and cannot tour in person, ask for a live video call instead of photos alone. A landlord who has nothing to hide should be willing to walk you through the actual unit on camera, not send a prerecorded video or reuse the listing photos.
Which payment methods are red flags for a deposit?
Wire transfers, gift cards, and person-to-person payment apps sent to an individual rather than a company are the payment methods scammers ask for most, because they are close to impossible to reverse. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center tracked $275.1 million in real estate fraud losses in 2025, up from $173 million in 2024 (FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report), and payment methods with no buyer protection are a large part of why those losses are so hard to claw back.
| Payment method | Risk level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wire transfer | High | No chargeback once sent; standard scammer request |
| Gift cards | High | Untraceable, redeemable instantly, a classic scam signal |
| Cash App, Venmo, Zelle to a person | High | No buyer protection for goods or services |
| Personal check before a tour | Medium | Traceable, but still sent before you've verified the unit |
| Payment through a property management platform, after a tour | Lower | Traceable, tied to a named company, usually reversible if disputed quickly |
Should I sign a lease before I've seen the apartment in person?
Not without independent verification first. At minimum, get a live video walkthrough from someone you trust, review the full lease in advance rather than a summary, and confirm the landlord's name or company matches the assessor record for that address. A lease is a legal commitment, and once you sign, the unit stops being the landlord's problem and starts being yours. If the only thing backing up the listing is photos and a text thread, you're signing before you've had a real chance to catch a mismatch.
What can I do if I can't visit the property myself?
A live video call with the landlord covers some of this gap, but it's only as honest as the person holding the camera. The other option is having someone local you trust tour the unit in person, or booking a verified local Scout to do it for you. Habita works this way: a Scout tours the rental, works through a structured checklist, and sends back photos, a video walkthrough, and honest notes on what they observed, including anything that did not match the listing or that they could not verify. You get that report before you apply or sign, without flying out to check it yourself. See how it works.
What should I do if I think a listing is a scam?
Stop responding and do not send any money. Report the listing to the site it ran on (Facebook, Craigslist, Zillow, or wherever you found it) so the ad comes down for other renters. File a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, if you already sent money, file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center as well. Neither will guarantee your money back, but both feed the data that helps platforms and law enforcement catch repeat scammers.
What checks verify a listing is real?
| Step | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| Reverse image search the listing photos | Whether the photos were copied from another listing or city |
| Look up the address on the county assessor or recorder site | Whether the parcel is real and the name on record matches |
| Ask for a live video call, not just photos | Whether the unit actually looks like the listing |
| Check who you're asked to pay and how | Whether the payment method offers any protection if something is wrong |
| Get the lease in writing before you commit | Whether the terms match what was discussed, before you sign |
Why should you verify before you send money?
None of these checks take more than a few minutes. The scammers counting on that are counting on you skipping them because you're excited about a listing, tight on time, or 2,000 miles away and out of options. If you're relocating to LA and can't do the in-person part yourself, that's what a Scout tour is for: someone local goes, looks, and reports back honestly, including what they could not verify, so you decide before you sign.
Questions about a specific listing? Email [email protected].
Common questions
Can a landlord legally ask for a deposit before I see the apartment?
Laws vary by state, so a request alone is not proof of a scam. But the FTC's core guidance holds regardless of legality: do not send money for a rental you have not seen in person or through a live video walkthrough you trust. A legitimate landlord who wants your business will work with that.
What is the difference between an application fee and a deposit scam?
An application fee usually covers a background or credit check, is a set amount disclosed in writing, and is paid to a named property management company after you have seen the unit. A deposit scam asks for a larger sum, often by wire or gift card, before you have toured the place or confirmed who owns it.
Are Zillow, Apartments.com, and other major listing sites safe from scams?
Major platforms remove fraudulent posts when reported, but scammers still post there. About half of rental scams reported to the FTC in the year ending June 2025 started on Facebook and 16 percent started on Craigslist, so no platform is scam-free. Verify the listing yourself regardless of where you found it.
How much money do rental scams typically cost victims?
The FTC recorded a median loss of $1,000 per person among nearly 65,000 rental scam reports since 2020, totaling about $65 million. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center separately tracked $275.1 million in real estate fraud losses in 2025 alone, up from $173 million in 2024.
What should I do if I already sent money to a scammer?
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately and ask about reversing the transfer, though wires and gift cards are rarely recoverable. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Also report the listing to the site it ran on so the ad comes down.