Rental Scams Targeting Property Seekers in Ireland
Ireland's severe housing shortage and high rental prices create a target-rich environment for scammers who post fake listings on Daft.ie, Rent.ie, and Facebook Marketplace, collecting deposits from multiple victims for properties they do not own or control.
Part of: Holiday Rental Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Ireland's rental crisis — with vacancy rates near record lows and demand far exceeding supply in Dublin and other cities — forces many renters to apply and pay deposits rapidly for fear of missing out. Scammers embed themselves in this urgency, posting fabricated or stolen listings at just-believable rents and collecting deposits before victims realise the property is unavailable or non-existent.
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and Threshold, Ireland's housing charity, regularly warn renters about deposit fraud. International students, new arrivals in Ireland, and people relocating from other cities are disproportionately targeted.
How this scam works on Ireland
Scammers copy genuine Daft.ie or Rent.ie listings — photos, descriptions, Eircode — and re-post them with a lower rent. The 'landlord' claims to be based in the UK, US, or mainland Europe for work and cannot facilitate viewings but is willing to post keys once a holding deposit is paid via bank transfer.
Deposit fraud compounds: one stolen listing is used to collect deposits from a dozen or more applicants simultaneously. Each victim is told they are the preferred candidate. Once deposits are collected, all contact ceases.
Some scammers impersonate Airbnb in the rental market — advertising medium-term lets that look like private rental agreements but directing victims to pay through a fake 'Airbnb long-term rental' portal that is unaffiliated with the actual platform.
Common red flags
- Rent significantly below current market rates for the Eircode area
- Landlord based overseas who cannot facilitate an in-person viewing
- Request for a deposit via bank transfer before signing a tenancy agreement
- Listing that appears simultaneously on Daft, Rent.ie, and Facebook at different prices
- Landlord who pressures quick payment because of multiple other applicants
How to protect yourself
- Always view a property in person or through a verified letting agent before paying any money
- Pay deposits only after signing a Tenancy Agreement registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
- Verify the landlord's ownership or letting agent's PSRA licence at psr.ie
- Report suspicious listings to Daft.ie or Rent.ie before engaging further
- Contact Threshold for free rental advice if you suspect a scam at threshold.ie or 1800 454 454
How to report it
- Report the listing to the platform it appeared on (Daft.ie, Rent.ie, Facebook)
- File a report with An Garda Siochana at garda.ie
- Report to the CCPC at ccpc.ie/consumer/contact-us
Frequently asked questions
Does the Residential Tenancies Board protect renters from deposit fraud in Ireland?
The RTB registers tenancies and mediates disputes between landlords and tenants, but it does not recover deposits lost to fraud before a tenancy begins. If you paid a deposit without signing a registered tenancy agreement and the 'landlord' disappeared, this is a fraud matter for An Garda Siochana, not an RTB dispute.