How to Avoid Rental Scams in NYC

The warning signs

One of these alone is a reason to ask more questions. Two or more is a reason to walk away.

• The price is far below everything nearby. A large private room at half the going rate is bait, not luck.
• They cannot show you the place. The owner is abroad, the tenant is traveling, the keys will be mailed. A real host can arrange a visit or a live video tour.
• They want money before a visit. A deposit to hold the room, an application fee to see it, a first month to take it off the market.
• They insist on an untraceable payment. Wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency or a payment app sent as friends and family.
• They push you to decide now. Other people are interested, the offer ends tonight, there is no time for paperwork.
• They move the conversation elsewhere immediately. Leaving the platform right away removes the record of what was said.
• The photos look like a hotel or a staging catalog, or the same photos appear on other listings with a different address.

The schemes you are most likely to meet

The copied listing

A scammer copies photos and text from a real listing and reposts them at a lower price with their own contact details. The apartment exists. They simply have nothing to do with it.

The absent landlord

The owner says they are out of the country and will send the keys once you pay. There is no visit and no meeting, and after the payment there is no reply.

The room rented several times

Someone with access to an apartment, sometimes a real tenant, collects deposits from several people for the same room and disappears before move-in day.

The overpayment

When you are the one listing a room, a stranger sends a check for more than the amount due and asks you to refund the difference. The check later bounces and the refund is gone.

What to do before you pay

1. See the place. Visit in person if you can. If you are moving from elsewhere, ask for a live video call where the person walks through the apartment and shows the view from the window and the building entrance.
2. Check who you are dealing with. Ask whether they are the owner, the leaseholder or a roommate. A leaseholder should be able to show the lease, and a sublet usually needs the landlord's consent.
3. Search the listing. Run the photos through a reverse image search and look up the address. Copied listings often show up twice.
4. Meet the people. If you will have roommates, talk to them. Real households are happy to introduce themselves.
5. Put it in writing. Rent, deposit, what is included, move-in date and notice period, signed by both sides.
6. Pay in a traceable way, and get a receipt. A check or a bank transfer to a named account leaves a trail.

Know the basic rules in New York

New York State limits what a landlord can ask for up front. A security deposit on a residential lease is generally capped at one month's rent, and application fees are capped at a small amount. If someone asks for several months in advance or a large fee just to apply, treat it as a warning sign. Rules change, so confirm the current limits with the New York State Attorney General's office or the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

If you think you have been scammed

• Contact your bank or payment provider right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped or disputed.
• Keep everything: messages, the listing, receipts and any names, numbers or account details.
• Report it to the platform where you found the listing so it can be taken down.
• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the New York State Attorney General. In New York City you can also call 311.

How Matezer helps

Every place on Matezer is posted by a member with a profile, and you can report a listing or a person in two taps. Matezer never handles rent or deposits between members, so nobody can ask you to pay through the app to secure a room. For more, see our safety guidelines and the Safety Center.