Rental Scams in London
Everything you need to know about rental fraud in London — local rent data, pricing red flags, and the scam patterns unique to this market.
London Average Rent (2026)
| Unit Type | Avg Rent / Month |
|---|---|
| Studio | CA$1,050 |
| 1 Bedroom | CA$1,350 |
| 2 Bedroom | CA$1,700 |
| 3 Bedroom | CA$2,050 |
Source: FlagMyListing market data engine, updated February 2026.
Red-Flag Pricing
If you see a 1-bedroom in London listed under CA$945, be cautious.
That is roughly 70% of the local average for a 1-bedroom apartment. Listings priced significantly below the market average are one of the strongest indicators of a rental scam. Scammers use below-market pricing to attract as many victims as possible before the listing is taken down.
Common Scam Patterns in London
Western University Student Scams
Western University and Fanshawe College students face housing demand in Old North, Masonville, and Richmond Row. Scammers target students with fake listings on Kijiji.
Healthcare Worker Targeting
London Health Sciences Centre and Schulich School of Medicine bring medical professionals. Scammers target these workers with fake listings near the hospital campuses.
Insurance and Financial Sector Fraud
London's insurance and financial sector brings corporate workers. Scammers target these relocators with fake listings in Byron, Wortley Village, and Old South.
Affordable Ontario Market Exploitation
London's lower rents compared to Toronto and KW attract relocators. Scammers exploit newcomers' unfamiliarity with the local market.
Where to Report Rental Fraud in London
Rental fraud investigations in Ontario are handled by your local police, not a provincial consumer agency, so a London renter who has lost money to a fake listing should report it to the London Police Service. Non-urgent fraud can be reported through the London Police non-emergency line at 519-661-5670, and certain fraud types can be filed through the service's online fraud reporting page; the service's fraud and Criminal Investigation Division intake can also be reached at 519-661-5521 or cid@londonpolice.ca. Ask for a file or occurrence number when you report, because banks, the Landlord and Tenant Board, and any insurer will ask for it later.
In addition to police, report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), the national clearinghouse that collects fraud intelligence for law enforcement. You can file with the CAFC online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. The CAFC does not investigate individual cases itself, but the data it aggregates helps police connect a single fake London listing to a wider scam ring. If you paid by e-transfer, wire, or cheque, contact your financial institution immediately, as an uncashed cheque or unclaimed transfer can sometimes be stopped.
Verifying a Landlord and the Property Itself
Every property in Ontario is assessed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), and MPAC's AboutMyProperty tool lets registered owners review the information on file for a property. Because that access is gated to the registered owner and it does not publish the owner's name, a prospective tenant's more practical route is the province's public land records: registered ownership is recorded in Ontario's land registry system (accessible through OnLand and ServiceOntario), where an official parcel register naming the legal owner can be ordered for a fee. Compare the name on any lease, deposit request, or ID against that registered owner.
Beyond records, insist on an in-person or live video walkthrough of the actual unit before paying anything. Fraudulent listings frequently reuse photos from real for-sale or previously rented properties, so reverse-image-search the listing photos and search the street address to see whether the same unit appears elsewhere under a different name or price. A refusal to meet, a demand to pay before viewing, or a story about being out of the country are the most common tells in Ontario rental scams.
Deposit and Fee Rules That Expose Scams
Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act sharply limits what a landlord can collect up front, and knowing these limits is itself a fraud filter. A landlord may collect a rent deposit of no more than one month's rent (or one week's for a weekly tenancy), and that deposit can only be applied to the last month's rent, never to damage. Separate damage deposits, security deposits, cleaning deposits, and pet deposits are all illegal in Ontario. The landlord must also pay you interest on the last-month's-rent deposit each year, tied to the annual rent increase guideline.
It is also illegal for an Ontario landlord to charge an application fee, credit-check fee, or processing fee just to apply for a unit. A key or fob deposit is permitted only if it is fully refundable and does not exceed the actual replacement cost. So on a typical London one-bedroom, which generally rents in the range of roughly 1,500 to 1,700 dollars, a request for two months up front as a security deposit, an application fee, or a non-refundable holding fee is a red flag that the person either does not understand the law or is not a legitimate landlord. If you paid an illegal charge, you can file a T1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board within one year to recover it.
How to Protect Yourself in London
- ✓Always visit the property in person before paying anything. If you are relocating to London, ask a friend or hire a local rental agent to view on your behalf.
- ✓Verify ownership through official records — through your provincial Land Title Office.
- ✓Never wire money or pay with gift cards. Use traceable payment methods like checks or credit cards.
- ✓Compare prices against the rent averages above. If a listing is more than 30% below average, treat it as suspicious until verified.
- ✓Run the listing through our free checker to scan for 40+ scam patterns before you engage with the landlord. If you encounter fraud, Report to Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
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