Rental scams: how to spot them

With so few homes to rent, scammers target people who are desperate or still overseas. Most scams follow the same pattern, so they are easy to avoid once you know it.

How rental scams work

The Western Australian government described the usual pattern in January 2026. Similar scams are reported across Australia.

1. The scammer copies photos from a real listing and advertises the home well below the going rent
2. They say they are the owner and are overseas or too busy to show you inside. Sometimes they let you look from the street only
3. They push you to pay the bond and rent by bank transfer “to secure it” before others do
4. They may send forged documents with a government logo, or a fake email saying your bond has been lodged

In 2025, WA scammers posed as the state’s Bonds Administration team, sending fake emails to “confirm” bond payments. Real emails from WA Consumer Protection come from an address ending in wa.gov.au.

Warning signs

• Rent well below similar homes nearby
• Excuses for why you can’t see inside: owner overseas, keys lost, tenant still there
• Pressure to pay quickly, or a demand for money by bank transfer before you’ve seen inside
• A “landlord” who will only talk by message or email, never in person
• No written lease on the official state form, or a request to pay the bond straight to a personal bank account
• The same photos appear on another listing at a different address or price: try a reverse image search

Check the agent is licensed

Real estate agents must be licensed or registered by the state. Each state has a free online search.

Then call the agency on a number you found yourself, not one from the message, and ask if the listing and person are real.

Pay the right way

• Inspect inside first, ideally with the agent or landlord in person
• Get a signed lease on the official state form before handing over bond or rent. In WA that is the Form 1AA
• Your bond must be lodged with the state bond authority, not kept by the landlord. In NSW you can pay it yourself through Rental Bonds Online and get a receipt from NSW Fair Trading
• Check rent-in-advance limits: in NSW and SA it is up to 2 weeks at the start of the tenancy
• Get keys when you pay. Keep copies of every message, ad and receipt

Renting: bond, leases and bills has the bond rules for each state.

Booking from the UK

Scammers target people who can’t inspect. If you must arrange something before you fly, use a serviced apartment or a short-term let booked through a platform with payment protection, and search for your long-term home once you land. If someone you trust inspects for you, have them meet the agent, not just view the outside.

If you’ve been scammed

1. Call your bank or card provider straight away to try to stop or recall the payment
2. Change passwords if you shared any logins or ID
3. Contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 if you sent copies of your passport or other ID
4. Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
5. Report it to your state consumer body too. In WA that is WA ScamNet (1300 30 40 54); in NSW, NSW Fair Trading (13 32 20)