How not to get scammed when renting
International students are the number one target of rental scams: they do not know the prices, they are in a hurry, and they arrange things from far away. One rule protects you: pay nothing until you have seen the flat and the owner.
- What it costs
- A typical scam costs one or two months' rent as a deposit that never comes back.
- How long it takes
- Five minutes of checking at the viewing saves it.
What the typical scam looks like
A nice, strikingly cheap flat with photos. The "owner" works abroad, so cannot show it, but will send the keys by courier or through an "agency" once you wire the deposit. There is pressure: others want it too. The money goes, the flat does not exist, or someone else lives in it.
The other version: a real flat, a real viewing, but the person is only a tenant or an acquaintance with no right to let it. They take the deposit and disappear.
What to check at the viewing
Ask the owner (or their authorised representative) to show ID, and check that the name matches the one on the contract. A private landlord will not mind you asking whether they own the flat and whether you can see the title deed ("tulajdoni lap"); anyone can pull it from the land registry's online system for a small fee, and a lawyer can help.
Sign the contract on the spot, and get a receipt for the deposit or transfer it to the name on the contract. Cash with no receipt: no.
If you have to decide from abroad
Many students want a room before they arrive. Then a video-call viewing is the minimum: the owner walks through the flat, shows the street from the window and an ID. Ask a friend already in the city, or your university's international office, to view it for you. The deposit still only after the contract, to the name on it.
Step by step
- Price too good? Be suspicious. Compare with the prices in the renting chapter.
- View in person or by video call, with the owner or their representative showing ID.
- Before signing: name matches, address matches, notice period and deposit in writing.
- Deposit only after the contract, with a receipt or by transfer to the name on the contract.
- If you see a scam on this site, tell us: info@addberbe.com.
Traps
- "I am abroad, I will post the keys" — that does not exist.
- Western Union, crypto, gift cards: never a deposit.
- Pressure ("decide tonight"): a scammer's tool, not a landlord's.
Common questions
Can a landlord ask for money before the viewing?
No. Not a "reservation", not an "advance", not a "proof of seriousness". This is the most common rental scam.
How do I know they really own the flat?
From the title deed, which anyone can pull from the land registry's online system for a small fee; ask them to show it or pull it yourself. The name must match their ID and the contract.
What if I already paid?
Tell your bank at once, file a police report (possible in English), and keep every message. The money rarely comes back, but the report protects the next student.
Last checked: 2026. 09. 06. Prices and official rules change; always check the official sites before you act.
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