How can I tell if a lease agreement is fake?
A lease is only as real as the person signing it. Check that the landlord named in the lease is the registered owner (or a registered agent acting for them), that the property details match the actual flat and that the bank account belongs to that same person or agency.
Scammers download lease templates and fill them in. The document looks fine; the problem is that the "landlord" has no right to the property. A lease also does not make it safe to pay before you have viewed and received the keys.
What to check
- Compare the landlord's name with the title deed owner via the Deeds Office, or the agent with the PPRA register.
- Compare the address, unit number and description with what you saw at the viewing.
- The bank account name must match the landlord or the agency trust account.
- Read the deposit and notice clauses; a lease that demands several months up front to a private account is a warning.
- Sign in person at the property or the agency, with the keys handed over at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
- They want me to sign electronically and pay before I get the keys. Is that normal?
- Electronic signing is normal; paying before you have viewed and arranged a key handover is not.
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