With an increasing number of ‘fake landlords’ operating on Gumtree, the classified listing service have now planned to meet with the RLA (Residential Landlords Association) to discuss a way forward.

The scam involves fraudsters posing as landlords, who demand cash for viewings. These online advertisements often include cloned logos (e.g an NLA logo) which provide a superficial air of trust to entice prospective tenants in.

With the majority of these scams the ‘landlord’ claims to live overseas, typically showcasing a well-located and competitively-priced home for let. And when interested tenants get in contact they are typically told that they must provide a deposit to secure a viewing. The landlord or agent then fails to show up for the viewing and the prospective tenants payment is lost.

Overseas students are left most vulnerable to this particular scam, therefore it is highly advisable that those who are wishing to move to the UK seek the help of the employer or university that they are coming to. More often than not, they will be knowledgeable of standard practices in the UK and may have lists of accredited landlords and local letting agents.

At TenantReferencingUK we covered this story back in 2013, where a number of defrauded landlords had also been in contact; in need of urgent advice on the matter too. All victims of this kind of scam are urged to contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Introducing TR Lettings

TR Lettings deliver a highly professional and efficient residential lettings service to landlords and tenants. Whilst embracing the principles of customer care, their aim is to provide unrivalled expertise in our market place, backed by a team of dedicated professionals, extensive property marketing and market leading property management software.

For example, last week a property in Edinburgh that was showcased via TR Lettings had 42 enquiries in 48 hours!!

Their fully focused team of friendly and courteous staff assists UK landlords in the process of finding the most suitable property – from as little as £55!

Landlords: View TR Lettings Package Details by clicking here.

Tenants: Why Rent through us? Click here to find out what we can offer you.

Related topics:

8 most likely people to meet in a house share