How to research a landlord and a rental listing

Renting involves two separate risks. The first is the outright scam: a listing for a home that is not available, advertised by someone who has no right to rent it, designed to collect a deposit and vanish. The second is slower: a real landlord who ignores repairs, keeps deposits unfairly or runs a building with a long record of violations. The checks below address both, and most can be done before you even book a viewing.

Step one: is the listing real?

Rental scammers often copy photos and descriptions from genuine listings, sometimes from homes that are for sale rather than for rent, and repost them at an attractive price. To catch this:

• Reverse image search the photos. Tools such as Google Lens or TinEye will show where else the images appear. If the same photos turn up on a sales listing, an estate agent’s site or a different rental ad with another contact name, stop.
• Search the address. Look for other listings of the same property with different prices or agents.
• Compare the rent. Check similar homes nearby. A price far below the local market is the bait in most rental scams.
• Look at the street. Street-level map imagery should match the photos.

Step two: who actually owns it?

In the US, property ownership is usually public. County assessor and recorder (or register of deeds) websites let you search an address and see the owner’s name. If the person advertising is not the owner, ask how they are connected. A property management company is common and legitimate; in many states, managing rentals for others requires a real estate licence, which you can look up with the state real estate commission. In the UK, HM Land Registry sells title register copies for a small fee, showing the registered owner.

Then confirm the person you are dealing with is who they say they are. A genuine landlord or agent will not be offended by a request to see identification that matches the ownership record, or to meet at the property.

Step three: view it properly

View in person if you possibly can, and make sure the person showing you around has keys and access. If you are relocating from far away and must view remotely, ask for a live video walk-through rather than a pre-recorded tour, and make specific requests on the call — open a particular cupboard, show the view from a named window, step outside to show the house number. Pre-recorded tours can be copied from elsewhere.

Be wary of any story that explains why you cannot see the inside: the owner is working abroad, the current tenant is difficult, the keys will be posted after payment. These stories exist to get your money before you discover the truth.

Step four: research the landlord’s record

Once you know the listing is genuine, find out what living there is like.

• Talk to current or former tenants if you can. Ask how quickly repairs are handled and whether deposits were returned.
• Search housing and code-enforcement records. Many US cities publish building violations and complaints online, searchable by address. In the UK, some councils run landlord licensing schemes and publish public registers of licensed properties.
• Search court records. A landlord who files a very high number of evictions, or who is frequently sued over deposits, is worth knowing about.
• Read reviews of the management company using the approach in our guide to reading reviews critically.

Step five: read the lease and know the deposit rules

Read every page before signing, and never sign a lease with blank sections. Check the rent, the due date, late fees, what is included, who handles which repairs, rules on pets, guests and subletting, and how and when the lease can end. Ask for a move-in inspection checklist and photograph every room with dates before you unpack.

Deposit rules vary. Many US states cap security deposits and set a deadline for returning them after move-out, with an itemised list of deductions. In England and Wales, a deposit for an assured shorthold tenancy must be protected in a government-approved deposit protection scheme within 30 days, and the landlord must give you the scheme details. Landlords in England must also provide a current gas safety record and an Energy Performance Certificate. Check the rules for your state or country before you pay.

Paying safely

Pay only after you have seen the property and signed a lease, and use a method that leaves a record in the landlord’s or agency’s business name. Get a receipt for every payment. If you are asked to pay by wire, gift card or cryptocurrency, treat it as a scam, whatever the explanation. Our guide to the safest ways to pay explains which methods give you options if something goes wrong.