How to Avoid Rental Scams When Moving to a New City
Moving to a new city is already stressful. You are managing a new job or college, figuring out transport, adjusting to a place you do not know — and somewhere in the middle of all that, you need to find a place to live. Quickly.
That urgency is exactly what rental scammers count on.
Every year, thousands of students and working professionals lose money to fake PG listings, fraudulent landlords, and accommodation that looks nothing like the photos. Some lose their advance. Some sign agreements for properties that do not exist. Some arrive at an address to find the place already occupied — or completely different from what was shown online.
This guide breaks down how rental scams work in Indian cities, the warning signs to watch for, and the practical steps you can take to protect yourself when searching for accommodation from a distance.
How to Protect Yourself From Rental Scams: A Practical Checklist
These steps will not guarantee zero risk, but they significantly reduce your exposure:
Research the area first
Understand what a fair price looks like for that neighbourhood and room type
Never pay an advance
Never pay an advance before verifying the property, either in person or through a trusted representative
Request a live video
Call walk-through before committing — if the owner refuses, treat it as a serious warning sign
Reverse image search
All listing photos to check if they appear elsewhere online
Verify the owner’s identity
- Ask for an Aadhaar card or ID and cross-check the name
Avoid paying
- Don’t pay with informal methods Like UPI to an unknown number with no receipt — use methods that create a paper trail
What to Do If You Cannot Visit the Property
What to Do If You Cannot Visit the Property
This is the core challenge. You are in another city. You need accommodation. You cannot easily travel to inspect properties one by one. What do you do?
There are a few practical options:
Ask Someone You Know
If you have a friend, relative, or colleague in that city, ask them to visit on your behalf. Give them a checklist of things to check and ask them to take a video during the visit. This is the simplest option if someone is available and willing.
Join Local Groups and Ask for References
City-specific Facebook groups, Reddit communities, and college WhatsApp groups often have people willing to help verify a property or share their own experiences with a particular PG or landlord. Peer recommendations are more reliable than listing platforms.
Use a Property Verification Service
If you do not have a contact in the city, a property verification service is the most reliable option. A local representative visits the property on your behalf, shares real-time photos and videos, checks the condition and surroundings, and gives you an honest picture before you pay anything.
MyBuddy offers exactly this. A Buddy physically visits the property and shares live photos, videos, and observations — covering the room condition, neighbourhood, maintenance, hygiene, and security. You get ground-level information without having to travel, and you make your decision based on what the property actually looks like rather than what the listing claims.
This is particularly useful when you are considering multiple properties and want to shortlist before visiting, or when you have already found a promising option but want to confirm it before paying the advance.
After You Have Verified — Formalise Everything
Once you have found a property you are satisfied with, a few steps will protect you going forward:
- Get a written rental agreement before paying the full deposit
- Ensure the agreement mentions the exact deposit amount and refund conditions
- Document the condition of the property with photos on the day you move in
- Keep all payment records — bank transfers, UPI screenshots, receipts
- Have a clear written understanding of who handles maintenance and how quickly
A signed agreement does not eliminate all problems, but it gives you something to refer back to if disputes arise later.
Red Flags to Watch For
The Fake Listing Scam
A listing appears on a popular platform with attractive photos, a reasonable price, and a responsive owner. After a few calls and messages, the owner asks for an advance to hold the room. Once you pay, communication stops. The listing disappears. The address either does not exist or belongs to someone else entirely.
The Bait and Switch
You are shown one property — clean, well-maintained, as described. You pay the advance. When you arrive to move in, you are told that particular room was just given away and offered a different, inferior one. The original terms no longer apply, and you are in a weak position to negotiate.
The Inflated Deposit Trap
The listing mentions a small deposit. Once you are committed — after visiting, liking the place, and mentally moving in — the owner suddenly demands a much higher security deposit. With no alternatives immediately available and your move date approaching, many people simply pay.
Common Types of Rental Scams in Indian Cities
Scam listings share certain patterns. Once you know what to look for, they become easier to spot:
Too Good to Be True Pricing
- Rent significantly below market rate for the area and room type
- A fully furnished PG priced like an unfurnished one
- No brokerage, zero deposit, and immediate availability — all at once
Pressure to Pay Quickly
- Owner says multiple people are interested and the room will go today
- Urgency to transfer advance before you have seen the place
- Reluctance to allow even a short window to think or verify
Evasiveness About the Property
- Vague answers to direct questions about water supply, maintenance, or occupancy
- Refusal to do a live video call or show the property in real time
- Photos that appear edited, too professional for the price point, or identical across multiple listings
- Reverse image search reveals the same photos used on other platforms or in different cities
Unverifiable Identity
- Owner unwilling to share a valid ID or rental agreement draft before advance
- No verifiable address, business name, or local contact for follow-up
- Communication only through a single number that goes unreachable after payment
The Condition Misrepresentation
This is not always outright fraud, but it is extremely common. The photos are old. The maintenance issues are not disclosed. The water supply is erratic. The neighbourhood is noisy. You discover all of this after moving in, when reversing the decision is costly.
The Ghost Property
The address exists. The photos are real. But the person listing the property has no authority to rent it — they may be a previous tenant, a subletting party, or someone who simply found the photos online. The actual owner has no idea their property is being listed.
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