Tips on safer renting and fraud

Safer renting on Domain

Here are some helpful tips on renting safely.

• Never contact an 'agent' or individual outside of the Domain or CRE website/app.

If you see a listing telling you to make contact externally via an email account – don't. Only contact the agent via the contact form on Domain or by calling the phone number in the agent's contact details – at least until you're sure they are a legitimate agency with a legitimate property.

• Never send any money prior to inspecting the property!
• Never pay a deposit or any other payment before seeing the property, agent or landlord in person.
• Always inspect the property and its papers before exchanging any money or signing a contract.
• Be wary of suspicious claims by sellers or landlords to obtain money (in any form) from potential buyers/renters.
• Do not transfer money via Western Union to someone you've never met in person.

Some more helpful tips on renting safely...

• Never transact with someone claiming to be overseas.
• Always be suspicious of under-priced rental properties.
• Never continue your enquiry on a rental property if the 'agent' or 'landlord' is trying to lead you away from Domain Group websites. 
• Never engage with someone who sends you a lengthy email explaining their situation - it's not normal for a landlord to give you their life story.
• Always use the Domain contact/enquiry form to ensure you are contacting the actual agent - an enquiry form appears on every property details page.
• Avoid "freight" scams, where you as the renter are asked to pay a fee via a third party to receive the keys to a property.
• Look out for spelling mistakes, poor grammar, or foreign real-estate terminology such as "escrow" or "notary". These indicate the listing/email could be from a scammer.
• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

What does a fraudulent listing look like?