What never to pay before a viewing

There is one rule that stops more rental scams than any other: do not pay anything for a flat you have not seen. Scammers know this rule too, so they rename the payment. Here are the names to watch for, what is genuinely normal to pay, and how to pay safely when the time comes.

Payments that should never come before a viewing

Whatever it is called, if the money leaves your account before you have stood in the flat (or someone you trust has), treat it as a scam.

• Reservation fee. “To take it off the market while you arrange a viewing.” The flat usually does not exist, or is not theirs.
• Deposit. A real deposit is paid at signing, not to secure a viewing.
• “First month to hold it”. Same trick, bigger amount.
• Key-handover fee. Keys will be couriered or handed over by a friend, for a small fee paid now.
• Fee to receive the address. If the address is a secret until you pay, the flat is probably not real.
• Viewing booking fee. Paying for a time slot to see a flat.
• “Insurance”, “cleaning” or “admin” upfront. Extra small charges invented to test whether you will pay at all. The first small payment is often followed by a bigger one.
• Agency “registration” or “membership” fee before you have been shown a single flat. In some countries this is illegal; everywhere, it is a warning sign.

For the full picture of how these scams work, read avoiding rental scams. For the signs in the listing itself, see spotting a fake listing.

What is normal to pay, and when

Once you have seen the flat and decided to take it, some payments are normal. The typical sequence looks like this:

1. Viewing. You see the flat and meet the landlord or agent. You pay nothing.
2. Application. You send documents (ID, proof of income, references). In most places you still pay nothing. Some countries allow a fee for referencing or credit checks, often with a cap; see the country page.
3. Contract. You read and sign a written contract naming the landlord, the rent, the deposit and the dates.
4. Payment at signing. You pay the deposit and the first month’s rent, and sometimes an agency fee where that is legal.
5. Keys. You get the keys and, ideally, an inventory with photos.

Almost everything about the amounts varies by country: how many months’ deposit a landlord may take, whether the deposit must be lodged with a government scheme or an escrow account, whether tenants can be charged agency fees at all, and whether rent is paid in advance or at the end of the month. The country pages set out the rules for each country, for example Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany. The country list has the rest.

How to pay safely

When you do pay, make it traceable and tied to the contract.

• Pay by bank transfer or card, never cash to someone you have met once, and never crypto, gift cards or money transfer services.
• Pay only after signing a written contract.
• Pay the named party. The account holder should be the landlord or the registered agency named in the contract. If the name differs, ask why before you pay.
• Get a receipt for every payment, stating what it is for (deposit, rent for which month, fee).
• Keep copies of the contract, receipts and all messages until well after you have moved out and got your deposit back.

The exception people ask about: a holding deposit after a viewing

In some markets a flat goes to the first applicant who commits, and agencies take a holding deposit to take the flat off the market while they check your references and prepare the contract. This can be legitimate, but only if all of the following are true:

• You have already viewed the flat in person, or a trusted person has.
• The agency is verified: it has a real office, appears in the company register or on the relevant licensing or membership list where one exists, and the account is in the agency’s name.
• You get a written receipt that states the amount, the flat, and the condition for a refund, such as “refunded in full if the landlord declines or the contract is not signed within seven days”, and whether it is deducted from the deposit or first month.
• The amount is modest. Some countries cap holding deposits; see the country page.

If an agency will not put the refund condition in writing, do not pay. A holding deposit to a private individual you have met once, or for a flat you have not seen, is not this exception; it is the scam.

If you have already paid

If you paid before a viewing and now suspect a scam, do not send more money to “release” the first payment or to cover a new fee; that is how losses grow. Call your bank the same day and ask for a recall or chargeback, report it to the police and to the portal where you found the listing, and keep every message and receipt. The steps are set out in full in avoiding rental scams, and each country page lists where to report.

In one sentence

No viewing, no payment; after a viewing, pay only by traceable means, only after signing, only to the named landlord or agency, and only with a receipt. We can never guarantee that any listing, agency or landlord is legitimate, so keep these rules even when everything looks right. If you are searching from another country, our guide to renting from abroad shows how to get a viewing done without being there.