Rental Scams in Adelaide

Where to Report Rental Fraud in Adelaide

South Australia's tenancy regulator is Consumer and Business Services (CBS), a division of the Attorney-General's Department. CBS administers the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 and provides free tenancy advice on 131 882, including whether a rental arrangement or claimed agent is legitimate. As the state regulator it can investigate and act on breaches of the Act, so it is the correct first stop for problems tied to a listing, agent, or bond in SA.

For money already lost to a fake listing or a fraudulent "holding deposit," report to Scamwatch, run nationally by the ACCC through the National Anti-Scam Centre. Reporting a rental scam feeds broader disruption efforts, such as taking down scam websites, even when the funds you lost cannot be recovered. If you have been defrauded of money or believe a crime has occurred, also report to South Australia Police; for non-urgent matters that have already happened, use the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 rather than 000.

Disputes that CBS cannot resolve, such as a landlord or agent withholding a bond, are decided by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT), which handles housing and end-of-tenancy matters. Once SACAT makes an order, CBS releases the bond as directed.

Verifying an Adelaide Landlord or Agent Before You Pay

Anyone carrying on the business of property management or selling land in SA must be registered as a land agent with CBS. Before paying anything, use the CBS "Find a licence holder" public register, which lets you check land agents and other occupational licence holders by licence number, surname, or trading name. A licence number should appear on a genuine agent's business card, website, or written quote; a "landlord" who cannot be found on the register, or who insists on cash before any inspection, is a warning sign.

Cross-check the property itself. Search the exact address on the major portals and on the listing agency's own website, and be suspicious if the same photos appear under a different agent, a much lower price, or an owner claiming to be overseas and unable to show the property in person. Insist on a physical or verified live video inspection before transferring funds, and pay bond and rent through the agency's normal channels rather than to a personal account.

SA Bond and Deposit Rules That Protect You

South Australia caps the security bond by law. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, for tenancies entered from 1 April 2023, the maximum bond is four weeks' rent where the weekly rent is $800 or less, and six weeks' rent where it exceeds $800. At Adelaide's typical rents, that means roughly $1,385 for a $1,500-a-month one-bedroom (about $346 per week) and around $1,846 for a $2,000-a-month two-bedroom (about $462 per week), both under the $800-per-week threshold and so capped at four weeks. A demand for two or three months' bond up front is unlawful and a common scam tell.

Critically, a bond in SA must be lodged with the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs at CBS, and the managing party must lodge it within two weeks of receiving it. The bond is held by CBS, not by the landlord or agent, and refunds run through Residential Bonds Online. If someone asks you to pay a bond directly into a private bank account with no CBS lodgement, treat it as fraud. At the end of the tenancy, if a claim is made without the other party's consent, that party has 14 days to dispute it before CBS pays out the amount claimed.