We strongly advise using a reputable letting agent when renting a property, going down a different route could result in a multitude of issues. Although most private landlords are legitimate and fair, there are others who aren’t that you need to be cautious of and even worse, there are some serious scammers at work.

A good agent puts policies in place that are in line with legislation to protect both the tenant and the landlord. Without this structure and formal process, problems can arise and the relationship between a private landlord and tenant can crumble. We always recommend using a qualified letting agent to steer clear of issues and dodge the scams that are out there. 

This situation was brought to our attention recently:

A property was advertised as ‘to let’ on Gumtree which used photographs stolen from one of our listings. The advert had nothing to do with us and the landlord had no clue who the ‘seller’ was either.

Unfortunately, Gumtree can’t do anything to stop this fraudulent activity but an unsuspecting member of the public could quite easily end up handing over a deposit and first month's rent to be totally ripped off. 

We urge everybody looking for a property to rent to stay vigilant and encourage everyone to use a reputable letting agent to protect yourself.

Don’t take any risks

Cutting corners when it comes to renting a property using websites like Gumtree can land you in hot water. Please note, we do advertise properties we manage on Facebook marketplace but if you’re interested in a listing, we welcome calls to our office to ensure it's legitimate: 01482 562562. 

Remember: the best way to avoid the scams is to search on Zoopla, Rightmove or go directly through a letting agent. See our properties to let.