Renting an apartment without scammers means verifying the person and the property before you send any money. In practice, that means: never pay a reservation fee before viewing, see the apartment in person or via a verified video call, compare the listing with reality, and have a signed contract before the deposit leaves your account. These four steps filter out most scams.
Rental scams in Czechia rest on a simple thing: listings are free, photos can be stolen, and pressure to decide fast works. A scammer doesn't need a complicated trick. A fake photo from another listing, an email address that takes two minutes to create, and a line about huge interest and whoever pays first gets the apartment are enough. On the other side are people searching honestly who come across an offer that looks better than the rest. A lower price, an owner abroad, keys with an acquaintance. Each of those signals has an explanation, but together they form a pattern.
This text describes patterns, not individual cases. It will help you decide in ten minutes, not after you've transferred money.
What scam patterns repeat in rentals
Most rental scams fall into four groups: payment before viewing, fake payment confirmation, a fake intermediary, and phishing in a messenger. The only difference is where they want to stop you.
Upfront payment and fake reservation
The scammer claims there's interest from other people and offers to reserve the apartment if you send a deposit or reservation fee. You'll never see the apartment because it doesn't exist or belongs to someone else. The amount is usually chosen so it doesn't seem high: two to five thousand crowns isn't worth going to the police over. A variant is the fake owner abroad. They claim they can't come, the keys are with a relative or a real estate agency, and the viewing will happen after payment. After the transfer, another request arrives, usually for a deposit or a key handover fee.
Fake payment confirmation and gateway links
The second pattern goes the other way: you're the one who should receive money, or you're supposed to pay via a link. A message arrives with a link to a payment gateway that looks like your bank's page. You log in and lose access to your account. Other times a screenshot with a transfer confirmation arrives. A screenshot is not proof. The money only appears in the account after it's credited, which for some types of transfers takes time. Never hand over keys or pay further based only on an image.
Fake agent and fake owner
Someone poses as a real estate agent or the owner and asks for an upfront commission. They have no trade license, no contract with the owner, and often no office. You'll recognize it by the fact that they won't put anything in writing and push for cash payment.
Phishing in a messenger
The conversation moves from the listing into a private message, and there a link arrives to verify your identity or confirm a reservation. The goal is your login credentials or payment card. A legitimate landlord doesn't need to verify your identity through a third-party link.
How to spot a scam listing before you reply
A listing reveals more than its author thinks. Go through it with this checklist and make your own judgment.
- Check the photos in an image search. If the same photo appears in another city or another country, the listing is copied.
- Compare the price with nearby offers in the same neighborhood. A significantly lower price for the same layout is a signal, not a bargain.
- Verify the address. Enter it into maps and see whether the building matches the description and photos.
- Read the text. Machine translation, missing diacritics, and generic phrases about a quiet location without specific details are common in copied listings.
- Look at the advertiser's profile. Their listing history, number of ads, and reviews from other people say more than the text itself.
- Verify the phone. Call, don't text. A scammer often refuses the call or moves it to chat.
- Ask about details only someone who has been in the apartment would know: what kind of heating it has, how much the monthly service charges are, who the building manager is.
What the conversation reveals and how to hand over money safely
Safe communication has one rule: everything important stays in writing and on a platform where the history is visible. On EX & GO, arrangements happen in the internal chat, so messages stay with the listing and can be traced if something goes wrong. That's more practical than forwarded SMS. Verify the phone before you send money. The platform verifies advertisers' phone numbers, which reduces anonymous offers but doesn't replace your own checks. Call, listen to how the person talks about the apartment, and only then arrange a viewing.
Before you send any amount, ask yourself three questions: Have I seen the apartment in person or via a video call with a live person? Do I know the name and account number of the person receiving the money? Do I have a signed contract or at least written confirmation of the terms? If you answer no to any of them, postpone the payment.
What safe money handover looks like
The deposit and first month's rent are paid after signing the contract, into an account belonging to the owner named in the contract. In the payment reference, write the apartment address and the month you're paying for. Keep the payment confirmation and the signed contract. Cash at key handover isn't forbidden, but it's weaker evidence. If you insist on cash, also insist on a written receipt with a signature and date. Photos of the apartment at handover and meter readings for electricity and gas come in handy when the deposit is returned.
When the arrangement moves off the platform
Moving to a private chat doesn't mean anything by itself, but it does mean you lose the ability to trace the history and report the listing. If you're already communicating off the platform, save the entire conversation and the account number. That's the basis for any further steps.
When something goes wrong: where to turn in Czechia
Rental fraud is a crime, not just an unpleasant experience. React quickly, because the bank can only stop a payment within a certain window. The first step is the bank. Call the fraud reporting line, provide the transaction number, and ask for an investigation. The second step is the police: file a report at the nearest station or via the online form. Bring the contract, the communication, the payment confirmation, and the recipient's account number.
The third step is consumer protection. If it was a business transaction-someone offering rentals as a service-you can contact the Czech Trade Inspection Authority. It handles breaches of obligations in the sale of goods and provision of services. It describes the conditions and scope of its powers at Czech Trade Inspection Authority. The Ministry for Regional Development handles housing policy and publishes information on rental housing at Ministry for Regional Development.
Reporting a listing is worth it even if you didn't lose money. The platform can take the offer down and restrict the account. You'll find the rules for posting listings and the reasons for removal in the listing rules. If you're not sure what's still okay, support can help.
Comparison: scam pattern, warning sign, and safe alternative
The table summarizes what repeats in practice. Read it as a checklist before every payment.
| Scam pattern | Warning sign | Safe alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation fee before viewing | Owner can't come, keys are with an acquaintance, pressure for speed | Viewing in person or a video call with a live person, payment only after the contract |
| Fake payment confirmation | Screenshot of a transfer instead of a credited amount | Check the actual balance in online banking |
| Fake agent or owner | Upfront commission, no written documentation | Written contract with the owner's name and account number |
| Phishing in a messenger | Link to verify identity or a reservation off the platform | Communication in the listing's internal chat, no logging in via third-party links |
| Copied listing with stolen photos | Same photo in another city, price far below the neighborhood | Check photos in an image search and compare with nearby offers |
How to choose between offers and what to verify on your side
A safe rental doesn't start with the listing, but with your process. The more offers you go through and compare, the easier it is to spot the one that's off. On EX & GO you can filter by city, district, and category, so you can get an overview of prices in the same location within minutes. apartments for rent
The advertiser's history and reviews from previous users are a guide, not a guarantee. A new account isn't necessarily a scammer-it just has no history. Conversely, an account with a long history and repeated offers in one city is usually easier to read. Combine both: profile, phone, viewing, contract. For offers posted by companies and sole traders, verify that the details in the listing match the contract. The name, company ID, and account number must match. If they don't, ask why. apartments for rent in Prague
The last step is up to you. Save the entire communication, take photos of the apartment's condition at handover, record the meter readings, and keep all confirmations together. If a problem arises, you have the evidence for the bank, the police, and for reporting the listing. And if you come across an offer that doesn't add up, report it. You'll save someone else time.
Frequently asked questions about safe renting
How do I know a rental listing is a scam?
The most reliable signs appear in combination, not individually: a price well below the local market, photos that also appear in another city, an owner abroad, and pressure to pay before viewing. Check the address on maps, run the photos through an image search, and call. If the person on the phone can't describe the heating, the monthly service charges, or the building manager, walk away.
Should I pay a reservation fee before viewing?
No. A reservation fee before viewing is the most common rental scam pattern. Payment should come after the viewing and after signing the contract, into the account of the owner named in the contract. If the landlord insists on paying upfront, propose a video call with a live person and a tour of the apartment. If they refuse, you have your answer.
How do I safely pay the deposit and first month's rent?
Transfer the money to the account belonging to the owner named in the contract, and write the apartment address and the month in the payment reference. Keep the payment confirmation and the signed contract. If paying cash, insist on a written receipt with a signature and date. When you get the keys, photograph the apartment's condition and record the meter readings-this helps when the deposit is returned.
What should I do if I've been scammed and sent money?
Call your bank as soon as possible and ask them to investigate the payment; the bank can only stop a payment within a limited time. Then file a report with the police and bring the contract, the communication, the payment confirmation, and the recipient's account number. If it was a business transaction, contact the Czech Trade Inspection Authority. Also report the listing to the platform so they can take it down.
What is the point of the seller's history and reviews on a listing?
History and reviews show how the advertiser has behaved before. A long history with repeated listings in one city is easier to read than an account created yesterday. But a new account isn't automatically a scam-it just has nothing to show. Treat the profile as one piece of evidence alongside the phone call, the viewing, and the contract, not as a replacement for them.