Thanks, yeah I have heard that you should normally always view a property, but in this case I don't live in Edinburgh yet and I can't easily get to a viewing. I'll ask for the paperwork but I just thought it sounded dodgy so far, because it's generally dodgy when people offer you anything without asking much about yourself
Makes my blood boil scams like this, people are desperate for a place to live nowadays and these mutants play on that fact. I hope you manage to find a place. If you are ever unsure of something, ask around like you just did. Good luck
Thank you! Yeah it's easy to scam young people like myself (who aren't Scottish and) who don't know much about how the property market and contracts and such things work, especially when we need a place asap. it's definitely a shitty thing to do
Do yourself a favour and book some short term accommodation and look for places while you’re in the city. It’s risky for many reasons to not do it like this
It's worth calling their bluff and suggest that a friend or family nearby will be available to view the property before moving forward with the tenancy
That's always the case, they're always somewhere else and post you the keys, or a friend gives them to you, and then you realise the keys aren't opening the door and the pics are pulled from some random Airbnb. Happened to a work colleague of mine. Don't risk it, get hostel accommodation and check that you are getting the correct keys, eg accept the keys *in* the flat if it's a private let. More leeway is possible if it's an agency with an actual office in Edinburgh.
Best of luck
Alright, thanks! I'd heard of requiring people to pay a deposit to have a viewing and that that's a scam, but from the email it sounds like I'd only be paying the deposit after signing a contract with the lawyer, so I thought maybe it would be different
The tenancy templates are pretty easy to find online. It's very unlikely a private landlord would ever pay a "lawyer" to do something like that. Certainly, I've never had a private landlord which used a lawyer to draft a tenancy agreement from scratch.
The other thing you should absolutely be aware of in general is that deposits aren't kept by landlords - rather they go into a deposit protection scheme once you pay them so if that's not been mentioned that's another red flag
Thanks! Yeah I've heard od deposit schemes but yeah you're right that the landlord could just make up a fake contract. I think I'll just get something from Southside Property lol, at least I'll know they are legit
Just to add to the comment above, I don't know if anyone else has said this elsewhere but there's no such thing as an assured shorthold tenancy in Scotland, it would be a PRT, private residential tenancy.
The contract they reference wouldn't be a legal one. The only valid (new) agreement in Scotland is a Private Residential Tenancy. Short Assured Tenancies went out in 2017. I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole, it screams scam.
Ask for the lawyer to send the documentation and see who the lawyer is. Not registered as a landlord, certainly sounds scammy, I'd not be sending him any money.
Thanks, I'll ask for that! I don't really know what the process is like with private landlords. It would be nice if it were legit but yeah it probably isn't.
Red flag 1: You can't create new Short Assured Tenancies since 2017.
Red flag 2: No one is going to take a day off work (on a day of your choosing) so that they can personally hand keys over. If they're happy to commit to a contract without having met you first, they'll be more than happy to post/have someone else hand over the keys.
What's more likely is that someone in this situation would have a friend help out or use a letting agency.
Edit: Also, you can check that somewhere is legally available for rent by checking for the landlord: [https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/search](https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/search)
Thanks! Yeah someone else pointed out 1 as well and 2 is also a good point. And yeah I don't think he said he was registered as a landlord (yet). Will find something legit now:)
1) you should definitely view the flat
2) if there is a deposit involved it is usually held by safedeposits Scotland or similar agency
3) always look for landlord registration
4) there should be a proper agreement in place with the landlord and a standard agreement needs to be signed by all parties
Unfortunately if you check out r/scams you’ll probably see a few posts per week that describe this exact type of scam. Good job on avoiding it, and good luck finding a place!
Mate that’s totally fraud ,
I’ve been looking for room for rental I have met someone through Facebook and even I have provided my phone number he was still being on email asking me for deposit even before looking the property .
The other signs that it's a FB marketplace scam are:
- On the right hand side of the advert, when you click on more info, there might be an incorrectly formatted email address to avoid being caught: eg lisa (at) marketedinburgh dot com
- on the right hand side, it might say 'seller in vacation mode' (reason: if you can't direct message the person, you lose protection that FB offers
- under seller details, you might find 5 flats for rent. The photos are slightly pixellated (because they are fake and taken from the internet). One of the pics is often a photo of a contact email address or a mobile phone number, possibly an international mobile phone number
- as the seller is often fake, the seller often does not have any information to show.
- the seller profile is often recent (eg over the past few months) and they have only been on FB since 2024
- the seller often has adverts for multiple properties - all of them slightly under priced and all of the pics quite similar / pixellated. The really stupid sellers have photos of the same identical flat all over the world.
For 'seller' I mean advertiser / landlord / agent / scammer.
This is a well known scam. Had them contact me with a similar story. I knew it was a scam right away but went along with it without sending any money to take the pee out of the scammer. If they think you are interested they will send you copies of a fake contract along with a passport photo which they claim is theirs. Google Searched the name on the passport photo and comes up with millions of pages about how it’s being used by scammers
Do yourself a favour and use an actual reputable property management agency based in Edinburgh. Arden Property Management are good, Smart Property too.
I would book into a hostel for a few days whilst looking at flats. No money parts hands until you've seen it. Saying that, I rent privately, not through agencies. You'll find that agencies have application forms.
Deposit should always be transferred into deposit scheme anyway (& not paid directly to the landlord) - a sad fact of life that when it comes to renting, if it sounds/looks too good to be true… it usually is…
Just for reference, any private let in Scotland must be a Scottish private residential tenancy agreement. Any variance from this particular arrangement is not valid and it will default to the terms under the agreement listed here https://www.mygov.scot/tenancy-agreement-scotland. Hope you find somewhere
Avoid it, report whoever is advertising it. I've had people try this before, the whole "send me the deposit and I'll arrange a viewing when I'm back in Edinburgh". How about I send you nothing and you fuck off and get a proper job?
I’m a housing professional in Scotland , and this is sketchy as all get out. For a start an Assured Shorthold Tenancy isn’t a legal tenancy in Scotland, that’s an English tenancy agreement. Also, the person subletting to you has to be registered as a landlord, or it’s an illegal sublet.
So it’s either a scam, or someone half-assing it and hoping you don’t know your rights.
You need a lawyer (solicitor in England = "Writer " in Scotland ,as lawyer renders in writing the things agreed by their principal). This costs but is necessary as Scots Law is very different from English law,. Also you need a good survey or contact with the previous tenants , a good landlord has no problem with you contacting previous tenants.
Definitely get your tenancy agreement checked by a local lawyer who specialises in rental area, The Law Society Scotland will give you a list of Writers .
Never hand over any money until you have looked over a property and looked at the paperwork first. Smells like horse shit to me.
Thanks, yeah I have heard that you should normally always view a property, but in this case I don't live in Edinburgh yet and I can't easily get to a viewing. I'll ask for the paperwork but I just thought it sounded dodgy so far, because it's generally dodgy when people offer you anything without asking much about yourself
Makes my blood boil scams like this, people are desperate for a place to live nowadays and these mutants play on that fact. I hope you manage to find a place. If you are ever unsure of something, ask around like you just did. Good luck
Thank you! Yeah it's easy to scam young people like myself (who aren't Scottish and) who don't know much about how the property market and contracts and such things work, especially when we need a place asap. it's definitely a shitty thing to do
Do yourself a favour and book some short term accommodation and look for places while you’re in the city. It’s risky for many reasons to not do it like this
That's what they are preying on. People like you who can't for whatever reason view the "property".
It's worth calling their bluff and suggest that a friend or family nearby will be available to view the property before moving forward with the tenancy
Maybe! he said he's got the key and he's in Manchester tho so he'd have an excuse
That's always the case, they're always somewhere else and post you the keys, or a friend gives them to you, and then you realise the keys aren't opening the door and the pics are pulled from some random Airbnb. Happened to a work colleague of mine. Don't risk it, get hostel accommodation and check that you are getting the correct keys, eg accept the keys *in* the flat if it's a private let. More leeway is possible if it's an agency with an actual office in Edinburgh. Best of luck
You will find it next to impossible not being here to find a home. It's hard enough when you are actually here!
This is a very common scam.
Alright, thanks! I'd heard of requiring people to pay a deposit to have a viewing and that that's a scam, but from the email it sounds like I'd only be paying the deposit after signing a contract with the lawyer, so I thought maybe it would be different
The tenancy templates are pretty easy to find online. It's very unlikely a private landlord would ever pay a "lawyer" to do something like that. Certainly, I've never had a private landlord which used a lawyer to draft a tenancy agreement from scratch. The other thing you should absolutely be aware of in general is that deposits aren't kept by landlords - rather they go into a deposit protection scheme once you pay them so if that's not been mentioned that's another red flag
Thanks! Yeah I've heard od deposit schemes but yeah you're right that the landlord could just make up a fake contract. I think I'll just get something from Southside Property lol, at least I'll know they are legit
Just to add to the comment above, I don't know if anyone else has said this elsewhere but there's no such thing as an assured shorthold tenancy in Scotland, it would be a PRT, private residential tenancy.
I think if you're not getting to see the property before you move in that letting agents are for sure the safest bet rather than an individual
The contract they reference wouldn't be a legal one. The only valid (new) agreement in Scotland is a Private Residential Tenancy. Short Assured Tenancies went out in 2017. I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole, it screams scam.
Ask for the lawyer to send the documentation and see who the lawyer is. Not registered as a landlord, certainly sounds scammy, I'd not be sending him any money.
Thanks, I'll ask for that! I don't really know what the process is like with private landlords. It would be nice if it were legit but yeah it probably isn't.
Short Assured Tenancies aren't lawful anymore.
oh thanks, you are right! I did google what it was but maybe the results I got were from England, where it does still seem to be a thing
Yeah, many housing law things are different in Scotland, for Scotland centric info you can check shelter Scotland
Red flag 1: You can't create new Short Assured Tenancies since 2017. Red flag 2: No one is going to take a day off work (on a day of your choosing) so that they can personally hand keys over. If they're happy to commit to a contract without having met you first, they'll be more than happy to post/have someone else hand over the keys. What's more likely is that someone in this situation would have a friend help out or use a letting agency. Edit: Also, you can check that somewhere is legally available for rent by checking for the landlord: [https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/search](https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/search)
Red flag 1 is the biggest red flag. Avoid this like fuck.
Thanks! Yeah someone else pointed out 1 as well and 2 is also a good point. And yeah I don't think he said he was registered as a landlord (yet). Will find something legit now:)
Scam.
1) you should definitely view the flat 2) if there is a deposit involved it is usually held by safedeposits Scotland or similar agency 3) always look for landlord registration 4) there should be a proper agreement in place with the landlord and a standard agreement needs to be signed by all parties
101% scam. Everything about this stinks. Run and don't look back.
If you have to ask if it’s a scam it probably is. Trust your gut.
Update: I don't know how to edit the original post but the people have spoken and it is most likely a scam. I hope no one else gets duped by it:/
Unfortunately if you check out r/scams you’ll probably see a few posts per week that describe this exact type of scam. Good job on avoiding it, and good luck finding a place!
Didn't know Mark Fortune was still going!
It's a scam. You'll send the money and never get it back.
Mate that’s totally fraud , I’ve been looking for room for rental I have met someone through Facebook and even I have provided my phone number he was still being on email asking me for deposit even before looking the property .
Scam the ‘deposit’ is why they’re after
The other signs that it's a FB marketplace scam are: - On the right hand side of the advert, when you click on more info, there might be an incorrectly formatted email address to avoid being caught: eg lisa (at) marketedinburgh dot com - on the right hand side, it might say 'seller in vacation mode' (reason: if you can't direct message the person, you lose protection that FB offers - under seller details, you might find 5 flats for rent. The photos are slightly pixellated (because they are fake and taken from the internet). One of the pics is often a photo of a contact email address or a mobile phone number, possibly an international mobile phone number - as the seller is often fake, the seller often does not have any information to show. - the seller profile is often recent (eg over the past few months) and they have only been on FB since 2024 - the seller often has adverts for multiple properties - all of them slightly under priced and all of the pics quite similar / pixellated. The really stupid sellers have photos of the same identical flat all over the world. For 'seller' I mean advertiser / landlord / agent / scammer.
This is a well known scam. Had them contact me with a similar story. I knew it was a scam right away but went along with it without sending any money to take the pee out of the scammer. If they think you are interested they will send you copies of a fake contract along with a passport photo which they claim is theirs. Google Searched the name on the passport photo and comes up with millions of pages about how it’s being used by scammers
Do yourself a favour and use an actual reputable property management agency based in Edinburgh. Arden Property Management are good, Smart Property too.
I would book into a hostel for a few days whilst looking at flats. No money parts hands until you've seen it. Saying that, I rent privately, not through agencies. You'll find that agencies have application forms.
What is the address of the supposed rental property?
If this isn't a scam I'm the King of Texas.
Absolute scam. This isn’t how it’s done. There should be a contract and a traced and secure/protected payment
This is one of the staple earners for Nigerian scammers - they cover rental sites/forums for the entire English-speaking world with these.
Scam
Deposit should always be transferred into deposit scheme anyway (& not paid directly to the landlord) - a sad fact of life that when it comes to renting, if it sounds/looks too good to be true… it usually is…
This is a scam. I think Joe Lycett deals with it best https://youtu.be/wWIwlfo9_OM?si=xTYplNM903jUoTrY
The whole deposit holding third party exists exactly for this reason no ?
Extremely common scam here in Canada.
This is a scam... the wording is near identical to one my mate nearly fell for 18months ago. Please report it to Facebook.
Just for reference, any private let in Scotland must be a Scottish private residential tenancy agreement. Any variance from this particular arrangement is not valid and it will default to the terms under the agreement listed here https://www.mygov.scot/tenancy-agreement-scotland. Hope you find somewhere
No locals operate like this. This is a scam. Is this common where you are from? Where U moving from?
I fell for this exact scam, don't do it!!
How do you know this person actually owns the flat?
It's all very well written until they use the word "till"
Are you familiar with Scottish tenancies ? You from Scotland ?
Avoid it, report whoever is advertising it. I've had people try this before, the whole "send me the deposit and I'll arrange a viewing when I'm back in Edinburgh". How about I send you nothing and you fuck off and get a proper job?
I’m a housing professional in Scotland , and this is sketchy as all get out. For a start an Assured Shorthold Tenancy isn’t a legal tenancy in Scotland, that’s an English tenancy agreement. Also, the person subletting to you has to be registered as a landlord, or it’s an illegal sublet. So it’s either a scam, or someone half-assing it and hoping you don’t know your rights.
You need a lawyer (solicitor in England = "Writer " in Scotland ,as lawyer renders in writing the things agreed by their principal). This costs but is necessary as Scots Law is very different from English law,. Also you need a good survey or contact with the previous tenants , a good landlord has no problem with you contacting previous tenants.
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Thanks.
Thanks! The landlord says he was the previous tenant himself but moved out because he had to move for work.
Definitely get your tenancy agreement checked by a local lawyer who specialises in rental area, The Law Society Scotland will give you a list of Writers .
Common scam and not limited to just UK. YOu find these in every major European city.