To rent an apartment in Romania without getting scammed, never send money before you have seen the flat and met the person who can prove they control it. Verify the address, ask for the owner's identity document, keep every payment traceable, and treat any request for a deposit by transfer, gift card or payment link as a stop signal.
The rental market in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași and Constanța moves fast, and classifieds carry both genuine owners and people who copy photos from other ads. Scams rarely look dramatic. They look like a polite landlord who is abroad, a price slightly below the market, and a request to "reserve" the flat today because three other people are interested. This guide walks through the patterns, the warning signs in a listing and in a chat, what a safe viewing and payment look like, and what to do in the first hour after money leaves your account.
One rule covers most of it: the apartment exists only when you stand inside it with someone who can open the door and show a document that matches the name on the contract. Everything before that point is a conversation, not a commitment.
What are the most common rental scams in Romania?
The common rental scams in Romania follow a small number of scripts: prepayment for a flat you cannot visit, fake payment links, a fake agent who collects a fee, and phishing that moves the conversation off the platform. Each one depends on speed and on you not checking something.
The prepayment script is the most frequent. A listing shows a central flat at a price below the surrounding area. The "owner" writes that they work abroad, in Italy or Germany, and cannot show the flat in person. They offer to send the keys by courier once you pay the first month and the deposit. The courier is fictional, the tracking page is a copy, and the money is gone before you notice. A variant asks for a smaller "reservation" sum, which lowers your guard.
Fake payment links and screenshots form the second group. You receive a link that looks like a courier or booking page and asks for card details. Or the other side sends a screenshot of a transfer "already made" and asks you to release the keys or refund the difference. A screenshot proves nothing. Only your own banking app shows money that has arrived.
The fake agent takes a different route. Someone offers to show you several flats for a viewing fee paid in advance. After payment, the numbers stop answering. A fake owner works the same way with a deposit: the flat is real, but the person is a short-term tenant who sublets it for a week and disappears with three deposits.
Phishing in messengers closes the set. The conversation moves to WhatsApp or Telegram, where a link asks you to "confirm your identity" or "verify the booking". Those pages collect card numbers and one-time codes. Keep the chat where it started and keep the payment in your bank.
How do you spot a scammer in a rental listing?
You spot a scammer by comparing the listing against the flat and the person behind it. Three checks catch most of them: the photos, the price, and the willingness to meet.
Run a reverse image search on two or three photos. Copied pictures usually appear in other ads, in other cities, or in a hotel gallery. Look at the details inside the frame: a Romanian address plate, a heating system, a view that does not match the neighbourhood named in the ad. A listing with professional photos and no interior detail of the kitchen or bathroom deserves a second look.
Compare the price with similar flats in the same sector or neighbourhood. A flat in central Bucharest or in Cluj-Napoca's Mănăștur offered well below the local range is a signal, not a bargain. Ask why it is priced that way and watch the answer.
Then test the person. Ask for a viewing at a specific time, ask for the address before you travel, and ask who owns the flat. A real owner or agent answers plainly. A scammer delays, offers excuses about being abroad, and pushes you toward payment to "hold" the flat.
- Photos that appear in other ads or other cities after a reverse image search.
- A price clearly below similar flats in the same area, with a story attached.
- Refusal to meet in person, or a meeting that keeps being moved.
- Pressure to pay today because others are interested.
- Requests to continue only in a messenger app, away from the platform chat.
- A name on the document that does not match the name in the conversation.
What does a safe viewing and payment look like?
A safe viewing happens at the address, in daylight, with the person who can open the door and show a document that matches the name on the rental agreement. A safe payment leaves a trace and happens after that viewing, never before.
Before you travel to a viewing, ask for the exact address and confirm it on a map. If the address does not exist, or the building looks different from the photos, walk away. A genuine owner will not mind the question.
Bring someone with you. Check that the keys open the door and that the flat matches the photos. Ask for the owner's identity document and compare the name with the one that will appear on the contract. If an agent shows the flat, ask for the mandate or the owner's contact so you can confirm the arrangement. Look at the meter readings and the utility situation, and write down what you see.
Payment should move through your bank, with a written description, after the contract is signed. Cash leaves no record. A transfer to a company account or to an account whose name matches the owner is easier to trace than a transfer to a stranger's personal account. Keep the receipt and the signed contract together.
Never pay a deposit to "reserve" a flat you have not entered. Never pay a viewing fee before the viewing. Never send card details through a chat link. If the other side insists on any of these, the conversation is over.
Which scam patterns should you recognise at a glance?
The table below pairs each pattern with the warning sign that gives it away and the safe alternative to insist on. Use it as a checklist while you read a listing and while you chat.
| Scam pattern | Warning sign | Safe alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Prepayment for a flat you cannot visit | Owner abroad, keys by courier, price below the area | View the flat in person before any payment |
| Fake payment link | A link asking for card details or a one-time code | Pay only through your own banking app after signing |
| Transfer screenshot | A screenshot "proving" payment and a request to release keys | Confirm the money in your own account first |
| Fake agent fee | A viewing fee paid in advance for several flats | Pay nothing before the viewing; confirm the mandate |
| Fake owner subletting | A tenant who cannot show ownership documents | Match the document name to the contract name |
| Messenger phishing | A move to WhatsApp or Telegram and an identity link | Keep the chat on the platform and never share codes |
Two patterns deserve a note. The courier story and the reservation story both rely on you paying before you see the flat. The phishing story relies on you leaving the platform chat. Block both moves and most scams lose their grip.
How do in-site chat, seller history and reporting help?
In-site chat, seller history and reporting help because they keep the conversation and the record in one place. On EX & GO, buyers can search by city, radius and category, contact sellers through in-site messaging, and report a listing that looks wrong. Moderation reviews listings, but it is not a guarantee of identity, ownership, item condition or transaction safety.
Read the seller's other listings and how long the account has been active. A profile with one flat and no history is not proof of fraud, but it is a reason to slow down. Ask the same questions you would ask any owner and keep the answers in the chat. If the other side pushes you to WhatsApp, that move itself is information.
Report a listing when the photos look copied, the price is implausible, or the seller asks for money before a viewing. Reporting does not recover money, but it puts the listing in front of moderation and protects the next reader. The platform rules explain what is allowed and what is not; read them at the EX & GO posting rules before you post or respond. If you need help with an account or a report, the support pages at EX & GO support explain the channels.
When you compare flats across a city, use the filters to see the same category at the same radius, so the price comparison is honest. apartments for rent A wider search in the same sector often shows whether a listing sits far below its neighbours. apartments for rent in Bucharest
What should you do right after a rental scam?
Right after a rental scam, stop contact, call your bank, keep the evidence, and report the listing. Speed matters most with the bank, because a transfer that has just left may still be recalled.
- Stop writing to the person. Do not send more money to "unlock" a refund.
- Call your bank's card or fraud line and describe the transaction. Ask what can be done and follow their instructions.
- Keep everything: screenshots of the listing, the chat, the payment confirmation, the phone number and the account details.
- Report the listing on the platform where you found it, with the evidence attached.
- Change any password or code you shared, and check your accounts for other activity.
- For consumer issues, check the official guidance at ANPC and follow the procedure described there. For identity document questions, the official source is DRPCIV.
Do not confront the person with accusations in the chat. Gather the record and let the bank and the platform handle it. If you paid by card, ask the bank about a chargeback and what evidence they need. If you paid by transfer, ask about a recall request. Neither route is guaranteed, and the bank decides.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent a flat in Romania without seeing it first?
You can sign a contract remotely, but paying before a viewing removes your main protection. If you cannot travel, ask a trusted person to view the flat and confirm the address, the keys and the owner's document. Ask for a video call in which the person walks through the flat and shows the street from the window. A recorded video proves less than a live call. If the owner refuses every form of live verification, treat the listing as unsafe.
Is a deposit by bank transfer safer than cash?
A bank transfer leaves a record that cash does not, which helps if you later need to show what you paid and to whom. The transfer is not protection by itself. Pay after the viewing and after the contract is signed, and check that the account name matches the owner or the agency named in the contract. A transfer to an unrelated personal account is a warning sign, even when the amount is small.
How do I check whether the person is really the owner?
Ask for an identity document at the viewing and compare the name with the name that will appear on the rental contract. If an agent shows the flat, ask for the owner's contact or a mandate that names the agent. Ask neighbours or the building administrator about the flat if you can. A person who cannot show a document, or whose name does not match the contract, is not a safe counterparty, whatever the story.
What are the warning signs of a fake payment link?
A fake payment link usually arrives in a chat, asks for card details or a one-time code, and imitates a courier, booking or bank page. The address may look close to the real one but not identical. No genuine landlord needs your card number to receive a transfer. Close the link, do not enter data, and pay only through your own banking app. If you already entered details, call your bank immediately.
Should I pay a viewing fee to an agent in advance?
Paying a viewing fee in advance is a common way to lose money. A serious agent can explain the fee in writing and take it at the viewing or after the contract, with a receipt. Ask what the fee covers and whether it is returned if you do not rent. If the answer is vague or the agent insists on payment before any address is given, look for another flat.
Does moderation on a classifieds site guarantee that a listing is safe?
No. Moderation checks listings against platform rules, but it is not a guarantee of identity, ownership, item condition or transaction safety. The deal is arranged directly between the parties. Your own checks at the viewing and at payment remain the real protection. Read the platform rules and the current listing and account terms, and report anything that looks wrong so moderation can review it.
Your next step
Pick one flat you are considering and run the three checks before you reply: reverse image search on the photos, price comparison with similar flats in the same area, and a request for a viewing at the address. If any of the three fails, walk away and report the listing. If all three pass, go to the viewing with someone, ask for the document, and pay only after the contract is signed. That sequence is the whole defence.