I recently saw a property for rent on Facebook Marketplace and contacted the “seller”.
I was directed to an email and after a short email exchange, I was told the following:
"If you allow me I will explain you the whole process. After I receive your full name, tel.number and a copy of your driver’s license or passport, I will forward your details and OpenRent will contact you. They will send you the booking invoice with the payment. After they confirm your payment, you will receive the keys; you will have 48h to think over if you keep the property or not. Then, if everything is OK, you can sign the contract. If something goes wrong, you will receive all your money back on the same day.
As I told you before, we will use OpenRent company because I really can’t travel to each client interested only to open a door. I want to be sure that the client is legit and already verified by the OpenRent and of course has the cash to rent my property. I had many bad incidents in the past with my old tenants and now I have decided to do it with OpenRent only. Please let me know your final decision."
Is this normal for landlords on OpenRent? When I searched the property on the website, I could not find it listed.
The way that email is written gives off scammer vibes to me, I wouldn’t progress any further with that “landlord” and I would steer clear of Facebook Marketplace for rental properties it’s full of scammers.
Abdul, I go to FB marketplace often. I’m amazed at the number of incredibly low-priced rental properties (often with all bills included, too). I don’t have any doubt that they’re all scams because such rental prices simply don’t exist. Something like 2 bed flat in Bristol for £550 p/m with bills included. You wish. You won’t get a room in a shared house for this price anywhere in this city.
It would be better if tenants urged landlords (wherever they’re found) to use OpenRent (or any other secure platform) full tenancy creation, which offers real protection. It’s easy to say “check the land registry”, and “check ID documentation” - but the reality is that most tenants aren’t able to tell the difference between a doctored ID document and the real thing, and scammers are far more sophisticated than you think.
This is sadly the case from our own experience of running a facebook group. It’s definitely not a secure way to rent a property, even if buying used items in person via FB feels reasonably safe.
i am not suggesting it is foolproof A savvy tenant would do other checks as well e.g If in a block of flats or a house in flats ask the other occupants who is the owner . Is he a little chap , slim , has a beard, always wears baseball cap and glasses and so on . Ah yes That is Colin. you have to meet the landlord of course . I would not rent out of thin air , No tenant should either. face to face or avoid. Ask the landlord for ID . I ask tenants for ID. Do due diligence
Theres so many warning signs just reading this alarm bells are ringing loudly
1 tell him/her you will send your copy of d/l or passport to OR save them forwarding them
2 the wording “they will send you the booking invoice with the payment” dosent gramatically make sense I would exoect send you the invoice detailingbthe payment or for the payment
3 afterbthey confirm paymentnyou will receive keys-from who and where (the alleged LL has already said they wont travel to every property)
4 after 48 hours if there is anything wrong you can just have your money back (how do u return the keys) and who will issue the refund if you’re happy you can sign the contract (for a property youve had they keys for allegedly for 2 days)
5 i want to make surenthe client is legit and already verified by OR- so why dobthey need DL or Passport then if OR have verified you
Personally I would stay WELL clear if it I may be wrong and will bow to the better knowledge of the experienced LL on here if I am but it just says scam to me
Abdul, we’re currently advertising our property, and today we were contacted by a non-UK student who needs a place ASAP because she went on FB Marketplace and was scammed out of her money while sending rent money to a scammer. Her time is running out, too, because her academic year starts in 9 days. She thought she had secured the property, and it was all a con. Just thought I would share.
Thank you for sharing this. That’s really sad to hear. The challenges of being an international student are already substantial, and this just breaks my heart. Hope she gets back on her feet soon.
Stick to OpenRent, its reasonably safe for renters because they hold onto the cash until a few weeks after you move in, avoiding some of the common scams, but still keep your wits about you.
Open Rent should be the ones requesting such information from you, not the landlord directly via Facebook. It sounds like a scam tbh and they’re trying to steal your data