How to Avoid Rental Scams When Apartment Hunting in Paris

Moving to a new city involves countless hurdles and challenges. Top of every list: finding a place to live. 

You have a dossier to prepare, different priorities to consider, and lots of factors that make choosing the right apartment difficult. And apartment hunting in Paris is competitive. You can expect it to be at least a little stressful. 

So the last thing you need is to fall prey to rental scams. Even though most landlords and rental agencies are well intentioned, there are people out there hoping to take advantage of your uncertainty. 

In this article, we take a look at some simple, yet extremely effective tips to help you detect rental scams, and offer advice on how you can avoid being hustled when hunting for an apartment in the city.

What are rental scams?

Rental scams are any type of fraudulent activity by an individual or a group to misrepresent a property and earn extra money from the transaction. This includes renting a property that doesn’t exist, doesn’t belong to them, or doesn’t meet the specifications in the advertisement. It could also include adding false or excessive fees to a transaction on top of what’s legally allowed.

The main goal in a scam situation is to collect money from prospective tenants without providing the property as advertised. The money they collect can be in the form of: 

• Application fees
• Security deposits
• Spiked rent
• Additional pet fees
• Unnecessary insurance
• And plenty more.

Note: This isn’t a Paris-specific phenomenon. Rental scams occur all over the world, and they shouldn’t make you less comfortable or excited to move to the French capital. 

But as an expat in Paris, you’re always slightly more likely to look like bait to a scam artist. 

Rental scam examples

Rental fraud comes in a wide variety of forms. Here are just some of the most common: 

• Fake listings. Scammers post beautiful, affordable rentals that don’t actually exist or belong to someone else. Once someone shows interest, the scammer requests a fee to "hold the property," which they then keep—and disappear
• Advance payment or wire money scams. A fake landlord asks the prospective tenant to wire money (usually for a deposit, the first month's rent, or even an application fee) before seeing the property. They often claim to be out of the country or unavailable, and insist that payment is required to secure the property.
• Phishing scams. Instead of asking for money right away, scammers aim to steal your personal information. They may direct you to fake application forms or rental websites that make you enter Social Security numbers, bank information, or credit card details, which they can later exploit.
• Subletting scam. Someone rents a property legitimately but then illegally sublets it without the landlord’s knowledge. The scammer collects rent and deposits from multiple prospective tenants for the same apartment, then vanishes once the money is received, leaving victims without a place to live.
• Bait-and-switch. A scammer advertises a great-looking apartment, but then tells you it's no longer available. Then they push you to rent a less attractive or more expensive property.

There are plenty more forms of rental fraud to watch out for. But you don’t actually need to be able to spot every scam in its entirety. You just need to watch out for certain behaviors or tendencies to stay safe

Red flags to identify apartment scams

Avoiding rental scams is a matter of knowing what to watch for, and asking for more information when things seem off. Here are the biggest red flags to avoid. 

1. It seems too good to be true

The other flags are more specific, but this is a good starting point. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. The rental market is highly competitive, and most landlords aren’t charities. 

So if one listing is clearly different from all the rest—low price, huge surface area, incredible amenities, or unthinkable location—approach with caution. That doesn’t mean it can’t possibly be real, but you need extra proof. And ask a lot of questions. 

2. They don’t want to meet in person

So many interactions take place online these days, it can feel normal that a whole transaction could take place remotely. But real estate deals involve physical property and in-person relationships.

If your landlord doesn’t want to meet you, they likely have something to hide. Scammers may say that they’re out of town on a business trip, on vacation abroad, or any other such excuse. Some have even been known to lie about being in the military and deployed overseas. 

Renting your property to someone is a major decision that requires trust. So it’s very unusual that a landlord would be willing to rent to someone without meeting them in person. By the same token, it’s quite unusual that you would rent a property for the medium or long term without seeing it first. Which brings us to the next red flag.

3. They want you to rent it unseen

As a simple rule of thumb, never sign a lease, pay a deposit, or hand over any other fees before you see the apartment. If the landlord wants you to rent the place or move in immediately without you ever seeing the place, that’s a massive red flag. 

Scammers might try to hard-sell you, saying that the rental is very popular, that there are lots of potential applicants, and that you need to act fast to secure it for yourself. This is just further evidence that you need to be careful.

In some rental scams, the individual claiming to be the landlord might not have access to the inside of the apartment. So they’ll show you the outside and welcome you to the neighborhood, but you won’t get inside the property. This is very clearly a situation to avoid. 

4. They only want to deal in cash

There was a time when the world ran on cash, and perhaps you could get a better deal this way. Today, it’s a clear sign that something isn’t right, and that the “landlord” isn’t worth trusting. 

Cash is the perfect currency for scammers. The money is basically untraceable, and you won’t have any clear proof that a transaction took place. If you do have insurance through your bank or credit card, it will be much harder to make a claim over lost cash. 

A legitimate landlord shouldn’t mind having an electronic trail showing that you paid them a specific amount of money for their property. In fact, you’re expecting to pay them monthly, and an automatic bank transfer should be easier for everyone. 

They may also ask only for the security deposit or first month in cash, up front. Again, this is no longer the norm and is a good sign of suspicious or fraudulent behavior. 

5. They cannot show a written lease

Never settle only for a verbal agreement. Property rentals require a formal, written lease. Until you’ve seen it (and gone over it in detail), you should proceed with caution and never hand over any money. 

When you have a physical contract, also make sure that:

This is the standard, accepted practice—anything else is odd. 

You should also expect to have to show documentation including photo identification, bank statements, proof of income, proof of employment or study, a statement from your guarantor, and other important background information. 

While it’s more convenient and less nerve-wracking to avoid some or all of this, it should also be seen as a red flag. If a landlord doesn’t want to go through the formal process, they’re likely just hoping for some quick cash from you. 

6. The price keeps dropping

Just like any industry, some “landlords” may offer discounts to get you to act quickly and hand over money. They will either be in a hurry, or offer to reduce the price to make up for the “inconvenience” of not being able to meet in person, not having a written lease, or the other red flags above. 

Renting a property is a long-term relationship. Avoid being tempted by a short-term discount that will add up to a few percent over a multi-year rental. In such a competitive market, landlords shouldn’t need such aggressive sales tactics. 

How to avoid rental scams

Those were the most common warning signs that you’re looking at a rental scam. On a more positive note, here are the active steps you can take to avoid fraud when renting an apartment. 

• Always review the written agreement. They can be long and legally-detailed, but you should be able to understand your rental agreement. If you’re an expat renting in Paris, ask a friend or native speaker to confirm that it looks normal. 
  And again, never rent an apartment without a written agreement. 
• Always see the property in person. Faking an online listing is relatively easy—scammers can find photos from other people’s social media and create a beautiful (but fake) apartment for rent. Until you’ve seen it in person, you only have a fraction of the information you need.
• Ask for proof of home ownership. If you have any doubts about the person or the property, ask for more proof. They’re going to want a complete dossier from you, so it’s only fair that they provide some documents of their own.
• Never hand over money before you sign. In France, you should never expect to give an administrative fee or security deposit before signing the lease. Every proposed cost should be written in the lease itself, and you shouldn’t be required to pay in cash.
• When in doubt, ask more questions. Scammers want to do quick deals and remain anonymous. Real landlords want a quality, long-lasting relationship. So if your potential landlord is hard to reach or unwilling to answer fair, basic questions, it’s a situation to avoid.

Here’s some more information about tenants’ rights in the rental process in France. 

Use a trusted agency to avoid rental fraud

Renting an apartment in a large city like Paris is often difficult. Housing is expensive, the market is incredibly competitive, and you always feel like you’re a step behind everyone else. 

The simplest way to ensure you avoid scams—and land your dream apartment—is to seek professional help. Trusted agencies are there to help apartment hunters find the ideal property, and will make sure you don’t get scammed in the process. 

And particularly for expats, it brings peace of mind to know that you have an experienced local guiding you through. They know the rules and regulations—and the insider tricks of the trade. A good rental agency gives you the advantage you need to successfully land that perfect rental. 

If that sounds good, let us help you find your next home.