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MANY South Africans don’t own homes and have to rent properties to live in.

Often, this is because of affordability or the inability to get a home loan due to a bad credit record.

Sometimes, people consciously choose to rent over buying.

Whatever the reason, no prospective tenant can afford to be scammed. And sadly, this seems to be happening more often these day:

Conmen pose as legitimate landlords and prey on potential tenants’ enthusiasm and desperation.

The scammers create fake listings and use stolen photos to lure victims. They often demand deposits or rental payments before a viewing.

In fact, many are reluctant to have an in-person viewing and will come up with excuses to avoid it, but they will exert pressure to get the lease signed.

These skelms can be very convincing.

Sarah Nicholson, operations manager of Just Money, says prospective tenants compete for limited rental units in an increasingly pressurised market, and many feel compelled to act quickly.

She explains: “They often skip vital checks, which leaves them vulnerable to costly scams.”

Nicholson shed some light on the increasing rental scam trend happening in SA and worldwide.

How do rental scams work?

Scammers typically post fake rental listings on popular platforms such as Facebook groups, Marketplace, and WhatsApp groups, often using photos taken from valid property adverts.