Seven signs that reveal a fraudulent advert

Of the 19,929 available homes in Bojakt’s snapshot, 11,111 are second-hand rental adverts, equivalent to 56 per cent. Most adverts are not fraudulent, but when renting privately, you need to check who you are dealing with and whether that person is permitted to let the property. The linked sources are in Swedish because they concern Swedish law.

In 2025, 232,862 fraud offences were reported in Sweden. This figure covers fraud of all kinds, as housing fraud is not reported separately. The statistics show reported incidents and are not the same as the number of proven offences.

The police’s basic advice is not to pay in advance before you have seen the property and a contract has been signed. You should also check the landlord’s identity and right to let the property.

Payment is required before the viewing

A demand for a down payment, deposit, booking fee or viewing fee before you have entered the property is a clear warning sign. Common explanations are that the money will reserve the property or demonstrate that you are serious. Do not pay to gain access to a viewing.

A deposit is not automatically unlawful, but there is no comprehensive specific legal framework governing security deposits. The demand must therefore be distinguished from an unlawful special payment for the right to rent the property. A fee for arranging accommodation may only be charged under specific conditions and when the arrangement results in a tenancy agreement. A fee solely for a viewing should not be treated as a normal condition.

The landlord avoids meeting you

Be particularly cautious if the landlord claims to be abroad, cannot attend the viewing or wants to send the keys after payment. Video calls and recordings may provide information, but they do not prove that the person has access to the property or the right to let it.

Ask for an in-person viewing at which the landlord unlocks the property. Check their identification in person and compare the name with the contract. Consider bringing someone else with you. If a representative shows the property, check both the representative’s identity and their authority to act.

You are pressured to make a decision

Claims that payment must be made immediately, that others are ready to take the property or that the offer will disappear if you ask questions are typical ways of reducing the time available for checks. Time pressure is not proof of fraud, but it should make you slow down.

Walk away if you are not given time to read the contract, check the landlord and confirm that permission has been granted. Bojakt’s snapshot also includes 2,073 first-hand rental homes with no waiting time. A purported final opportunity is therefore no reason to skip the checks.

The images appear in other adverts

Fraudsters may copy images from a genuine property advert and use them in a fake advert. Conduct a reverse image search and search for distinctive sentences from the advert text. If the same images appear with different addresses, rents or contact people, the landlord should be able to explain why.

Also compare the images with the address. The view, building façade, floor plan, windows and kitchen details should be consistent with the property being shown. The police identify copied property adverts as a known method used in rental fraud.

The right to let the property cannot be verified

Anyone subletting a rented home needs the property owner’s consent or permission from hyresnämnden (the Rent Tribunal). For a tenant-owned flat, the housing association’s consent or permission from hyresnämnden is required. Ask to see a current written decision that applies to the property and rental period in question.

Verify the information yourself. Find contact details for the property owner or housing association through an independent source and ask whether the person has the right to occupy and let the property. Do not rely solely on links or telephone numbers sent by the landlord, as even a verification page may be fake.

Demanding a special payment for letting a dwelling, or for transferring a tenancy, is a criminal offence under chapter 12 of the Swedish Land Code and can carry a fine or imprisonment. A contract term providing for such a payment is also void, which means the money must be repaid. What the payment is called matters less than what it is actually for.

The identity and payment recipient do not match

The names in the advert, on the identification, in the permission, on the contract and for the payment recipient should all be demonstrably connected. If the money is to be sent to a friend, relative, intermediary or unknown company, stop the payment until there is a verifiable explanation.

Find the landlord’s telephone number independently and call it. Check the recipient’s name displayed before making a payment. A personal identity number, account number or photograph of an identity document is not sufficient, as the details may have been stolen. Do not use electronic identification at the landlord’s request.

The details in the advert are inconsistent

Check that the address, type of property, floor plan, rent, move-in date and what is included are consistent across the advert, messages and contract. Ask questions if anything changes during your contact. Vague answers about the exact address, the person occupying the flat or the handover of keys are reasons to walk away.

The national median rent in Bojakt’s snapshot is SEK 9,068, but rents vary between locations and properties. A low rent alone is therefore not proof of fraud. Instead, compare it with similar properties in the same area and scrutinise offers that combine low rent with advance payment, time pressure or no viewing.

If you suspect fraud, end the contact and save the advert, messages, contract, account details and proof of payment. If you have already paid, the police recommend contacting your bank to determine whether the transaction can be stopped and then reporting the matter to the police.