Is this rental listing genuine?

Rental scams are common in Canada, especially on social media and classified sites. They follow a familiar pattern: a cheap home, a landlord you can’t meet and a request for an e-transfer. Once you know the signs they are easy to avoid.

How rental scams work

In August 2026 Peel Regional Police said at least eight people lost more than C$30,000 after answering apartment ads on social media. The victims signed rental agreements online and sent deposits by e-transfer. The suspects had rented the unit on a short-term rental platform; the real owners weren’t involved. Earlier in 2026, the RCMP in New Brunswick arrested two people over a rental deposit scam in which victims lost about C$7,000, using several names and email addresses to receive payments. The usual pattern:

1. A real home’s photos are copied into a new ad, often on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji, at a low rent
2. The “landlord” is abroad, busy or unable to show you inside, or offers to post the keys
3. You are pushed to pay a deposit quickly by e-transfer, because “others are interested”
4. You get an online lease, or a document with official-looking logos, and then the person disappears

Warning signs

• Rent well below similar homes in the area
• A deposit requested before a viewing or before any written lease
• Payment only by e-transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency, which are hard to reverse
• A landlord who will only message and never meet in person
• Requests for your SIN, bank logins or passport scans before you have even viewed
• The same photos appearing on another listing at a different address or price: try a reverse image search
• In Ontario, a demand for more than first and last month’s rent is itself a red flag

Check who owns the property

Unlike the UK, where you might check an agent’s redress scheme, a quick check in Canada is the land registry. It shows the registered owner, so you can see whether the name matches the person you are dealing with.

Check the live fee on the registry before you order If the landlord is a company, ask for its name and check it. If a property manager or real estate agent is involved, call their office on a number you found yourself.

Pay the right way

• View the home inside, in person, ideally with the person who will be your landlord
• Get a written lease first. In Ontario most private landlords must use the standard lease form
• Pay only the deposits allowed in your province: see How deposits and leases work
• Get a receipt for every payment and keep copies of the ad and all messages
• If you’re still in the UK, book a furnished short-term let through a platform with payment protection, and search for a long-term home once you land

If you’ve been scammed

1. Call your bank straight away. It may be able to stop or recall an e-transfer if you are quick
2. Report it to your local police. The Anti-Fraud Centre asks victims to contact police first
3. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or on 1-888-495-8501
4. If you shared ID such as your passport or SIN, tell Service Canada and watch your credit file
5. Report the ad to the website or app where you found it