Very occasionally, you may come across a listing that is not genuine. This may be due to an agent who has fallen victim to phishing or other fraudulent activity, and the fraudster may be able to post fraudulent property listings on Zoopla, pretending to be a legitimate agent.
It's important to be aware of what fake property listings can look like, and report any you see to our Customer Support team.
If you do come across a fake property listing, please ensure you:
- Do not contact any phone numbers or email addresses advertised on the property listing
- Contact our Customer Support team. Click Chat below to get help from our virtual assistant, who can escalate your query if needed. We may ask you to copy the property URL and send it to us
- Delete the property from your Saved properties list
What to look out for
In the following sections, you'll read about some features which individually may not be a cause for concern, but if you notice one or more of these, it may be a sign that you need to be cautious and undertake extra checks before proceeding any further.
Property listings which seem 'too good to be true'
Be wary of property listings that appear to be under market value (very cheap), taking into consideration the location, quality of accommodation and amenities.
Ask yourself the question: "Does it seem too good to be true?"
In the example below, you can see a listing that is too good to be true. This is advertised at half the average market value for the size, location, and quality of accommodation available.
Requests for payment
Requests to make a payment to secure a viewing are illegal and should be declined.
To reserve the property, an agent may request a maximum of one week's rent as a holding deposit while your application is being processed.
Where possible, ensure you or a trusted party visits the property before committing to any payments or contract.
Payments should never be made via any third-party site, such as holiday listing websites.
If the name of the account holder you have been asked to pay does not match the name of the company you have contracted with, or the name of the landlord listed on the tenancy agreement, we advise that you do not make the payment until you can verify the reason for the discrepancy and are satisfied with the explanation provided.
Note
Fees chargeable by estate agents for rental properties in England and Wales are highly regulated, and estate agents should not ask you to pay monies in advance of viewing a property.
Further information on tenant fees and when they can lawfully be charged can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tenant-fees-act
Property listings or emails which ask for contact outside of Zoopla
Avoid and report property listings that contain the agent's personal mobile phone number or email address, either on the property photos or within the Features and description.
This behaviour may be an attempt to engage with you outside the Zoopla system to trick you into giving the fraudster money. You should always use the Call Agent or Email Agent buttons on the listing to send an enquiry.
The image below is an example of how this might appear on a property listing image:
Example of a fraudulent property listing: request for contact outside of Zoopla
Different locations
The majority of agents will operate in their local area, so it's worth checking that the property you are looking at is in a similar location to the agent's branch.
However, some larger online agents can offer properties across a wider area, such as county or national coverage.
If in doubt, check the agent's website (it's always best to search online rather than click on an unfamiliar link) to ensure they have coverage in the area where the property is listed.
Best practice
If you are ever unsure if a property listing is real or fake, contact our Customer Support team. Click Chat below to get assistance from the virtual assistant. We may ask you to copy the property URL and send it to us.
Alternatively, follow the instructions in the article below.