Apartment rental scams: red flags and how to verify a listing

The surest sign of a rental scam is a request for money before you have seen the apartment in person and confirmed the person has the right to rent it. Never pay by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency, and in New York City, check the owner of record and the broker's license yourself before you hand over anything.

Scammers copy real listings, swap in their own contact details and price the unit just below the market so it moves fast. This guide lists the patterns the Federal Trade Commission warns about, then shows the NYC-specific checks that take about ten minutes: who owns the building, whether it is registered with HPD, and whether the "broker" holds a New York license.

Red flags the FTC warns about

The FTC's rental listing scam guidance flags these signs. One alone may be innocent; two or more together is a pattern.

• The same apartment appears elsewhere with a different owner, company or phone number.
• The property isn't listed on the management company's own website.
• The rent is far below similar apartments nearby, or the amenities sound too good.
• The "owner" is out of the country, or keeps finding reasons you can't see the inside.
• You are pushed to decide quickly because "lots of people are interested."
• The home is actually listed for sale, not for rent.
• You are asked for your Social Security number, a photo of your license, or pay stubs before you have agreed to rent.
• You are asked to send screenshots of your credit score or sign up for a paid credit-monitoring service.
• You are told to pay by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
• Someone who says they work with the owner asks for personal or financial information.
• A "self-guided tour" is offered as proof. The FTC notes scammers use copied listings for these too, so a tour alone doesn't prove the person can rent you the unit.

Common scam scripts in NYC

How to verify a NYC listing in 10 minutes

1. 1

   Search the address on Roofy and online

   Look the address up on Roofy's building lookup to see the building's owner of record, HPD registration and violations. Then search the address on the web: the FTC says a second listing with the same photos but a different contact or price is a common sign of a hijacked ad.
2. 2

   Match the owner in ACRIS

   ACRIS, run by the NYC Department of Finance, holds recorded deeds and other documents from 1966 to today for Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. (Staten Island records are kept by the Richmond County Clerk.) Find the most recent deed: the buyer named there is the owner. If the person renting to you is not the owner, they should be able to show who they work for. See how to search ACRIS and how to find who owns an LLC building.
3. 3

   Check the HPD registration

   Buildings with three or more units, and one- or two-family homes where the owner doesn't live, must register with HPD every year. The registration names the owner and a managing agent with a phone number. Compare those names with the person you are dealing with. Building pages on Roofy show the registration; you can also use HPD Online.
4. 4

   Verify the broker or agent license

   In New York it is illegal to act as a real estate broker or salesperson for a fee without a license (Real Property Law §440-a). Search the person and their firm on the Department of State's eAccessNY Public License Search, or in the state's open dataset of active real estate salespersons and brokers. A salesperson is licensed under a supervising broker; call the broker's office using a number you find yourself, not one from the ad, and confirm the listing.
5. 5

   See it in person, with ID

   Tour the actual unit, not a "similar" one. Ask for the person's ID or business card and check it against what you found. Use the apartment viewing checklist while you are there.
6. 6

   Pay only after signing, by a traceable method

   Before you sign, the landlord or agent must give you a written, itemized list of every fee (FARE Act). Pay the first month's rent and the security deposit (capped at one month's rent) only after you have a signed lease with the verified owner or agent, by check or another method you can trace.

Your scam-check list

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Protect your identity too

Fake listings are often a way to collect personal data, not just a deposit. The FTC notes landlords usually run credit checks themselves, so you shouldn't need to send a credit report screenshot or sign up for a paid monitoring service. Don't send your Social Security number, ID photo or pay stubs to someone you haven't verified. For what a real application needs, see the NYC rental application documents checklist.

If you were scammed: where to report

Act fast. Your bank or payment app may be able to stop a transfer if you call right away.

1. Your bank or payment app. Report the payment as fraud and ask whether it can be reversed.
2. Local police. File a report at your NYPD precinct. Bring screenshots of the listing and messages and your payment records.
3. The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
4. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov for scams that happened online.
5. The New York Attorney General, under housing and real estate complaints, at ag.ny.gov/file-complaint.
6. The website where the ad ran, so it gets taken down.
7. NYC DCWP if a broker charged an illegal fee; see who pays the broker fee under the FARE Act.