How to avoid rental scams in Ireland

Unfortunately, very. Ireland's tight rental market and high demand make it a fertile environment for fraud. Remote searchers — particularly those looking before they arrive in the country — are disproportionately targeted. The RTB and An Garda Síochána regularly issue warnings about rental fraud, and it is not a fringe problem.

The core dynamic is simple: scammers know that people under pressure to find somewhere to live are more likely to act quickly and less likely to stop and verify. Understanding the common patterns is your best protection.

The most common pattern in Ireland follows a consistent script:

1. An attractively priced listing appears on Daft.ie, Facebook Marketplace, or a social media group — usually well below market rate for the area.
2. Enquiries are responded to quickly, often with detailed and convincing information about the property.
3. The ‘landlord’ explains they are currently abroad (working overseas, caring for a relative, travelling for work) and cannot show the property in person.
4. They offer to post or courier keys once a holding deposit or first month's rent is paid — often via bank transfer, PayPal, or a payment app.
5. Once the money is sent, all contact stops.

Variations include fake property management companies, cloned legitimate listings (real property, fake contact details), and fraudulent lease documents designed to appear professional.

Platform choice is one of the most effective risk-reduction steps you can take.

• Daft.ie is the most established platform and has verification processes for advertisers. It is not immune to fraud, but the risk is lower than unmoderated platforms.
• Reputable letting agents (Lisney, Sherry FitzGerald, REA, DNG, and others) are the safest source of listings. An agent who can be verified as PSRA-licenced is dealing in real properties.
• Facebook Marketplace, WhatsApp groups, and Gumtree carry significantly higher fraud risk. Listings are unverified and the barrier to creating a fake listing is very low. We do not recommend using these as a primary search tool, particularly if you are searching remotely.
• Airbnb and HousingAnywhere for short-term lets have platform-level protections and are generally safer, though you should still exercise judgment.

A few checks that take minutes and can save you thousands:

• Request a live video call showing the property. A legitimate landlord or agent has no reason to refuse this. The video call should show the exterior, interior, and ideally confirm the address. A recorded video sent to you is not sufficient verification.
• Cross-check the address. Search the property address on Google Maps and Street View to confirm the property exists and looks as described. Check whether the listing photos match the actual building.
• Search for the same listing elsewhere. Scammers often repurpose photos from legitimate listings. A reverse image search (Google Images or TinEye) can reveal if the photos have been used elsewhere under a different address or price.
• Verify the agent is PSRA-licenced. If a letting agent is involved, their PSRA licence number should be on their correspondence. You can check this on the PSRA public register at psra.ie.
• Never pay before a verified viewing. This is the single most reliable protection. No legitimate landlord or agent requires payment before you have confirmed the property is real and as described.

Payment method matters because it affects whether you can recover funds if something goes wrong.

• Bank transfer (SEPA) — standard for legitimate Irish tenancy deposits and rent payments, but offers limited fraud recovery once sent. Only use for payments to verified landlords or agents.
• PayPal, Revolut, or other payment apps — if a ‘landlord’ asks you to pay via a consumer payment app rather than bank transfer, treat this as a significant warning sign. Legitimate Irish landlords do not typically request payment this way.
• Cash, cryptocurrency, or gift cards — never. If any form of payment other than a normal bank transfer is requested at any stage, walk away immediately.

If you suspect you have been targeted by a rental scam:

• Do not send any more money, regardless of what the ‘landlord’ says.
• Report it to An Garda Síochána — file a report at your nearest Garda station or online at garda.ie. Even if recovery is unlikely, reports help identify patterns and protect others.
• Report the listing to the platform it appeared on (Daft.ie, Facebook, etc.) so it can be removed quickly.
• Contact your bank immediately if you have already sent money — in some cases a recall request can be initiated, particularly if the transfer was recent.
• Contact the RTB if a fraudulent lease document was involved — rtb.ie has guidance on fraud and can advise on next steps.