Rental Scams in Memphis

Where to Report Rental Fraud in Memphis

File a formal complaint with the Tennessee Attorney General's Division of Consumer Affairs, which handles consumer and rental-scam disputes for the state. The fastest route is the online complaint portal at core.tn.gov; you can also reach the division by phone at (615) 741-4737 or toll-free at (800) 342-8385, or by mail at Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 20207, Nashville, TN 37202-0207. Send copies of your lease, receipts, and messages rather than originals, since the office keeps submitted documents.

If money has already changed hands, or someone is renting out a home they do not own, treat it as a crime and involve the Memphis Police Department. The non-emergency line is (901) 545-COPS (2677), and many fraud reports can be started through the department's online reporting system; the MPD Economic Crimes Bureau handles financial-fraud cases specifically. A police report number is often required before a bank, wire service, or payment app will consider reversing a transfer.

For wire transfers, gift-card payments, or losses that crossed state lines, also file with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) and the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. These federal reports feed multi-jurisdiction investigations and create a paper trail that supports any local case.

Verifying a Memphis Landlord and Property Before You Pay

Every parcel in Memphis sits in Shelby County, and its ownership is public record. Use the Shelby County Assessor of Property search or the county's ReGIS parcel viewer to look up an address and confirm the current owner of record; you can search by address, owner name, or parcel number at no charge. The Assessor's office is at 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134, phone (901) 222-7001, if you need to confirm anything in person.

Cross-check the name the assessor lists against the name on your lease and on the account you are asked to pay. The Shelby County Register of Deeds carries recorded deeds and can confirm who legally holds title. A mismatch between the person collecting rent and the recorded owner, an owner who lives out of state and refuses an in-person showing, or a demand for a deposit before you have ever set foot inside are the classic markers of a hijacked or fabricated listing.

Tennessee Deposit and Tenancy Rules Worth Knowing

Because Shelby County has well over 75,000 residents, Memphis rentals are covered by the Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Tennessee Code Title 66, Chapter 28), which gives you statutory protections that renters in smaller Tennessee counties do not have. It also helps to know the going rate for the type of unit and neighborhood you are looking at: a listing priced far below comparable local rentals is a common bait tactic, so compare against current listings on major rental sites before you get attached to a deal.

Tennessee does not cap the dollar amount of a security deposit, so a demand for one month's rent as a deposit is legal. What the law does require, under Tennessee Code 66-28-301, is that the landlord place your deposit in a separate account at a bank or lending institution used only for deposits, and notify you of how and where the deposit is held. A legitimate landlord can answer where your deposit is held; someone who cannot, or who wants the deposit by gift card or an irreversible wire, is a warning sign.

The same statute gives you the right to inspect the unit to determine your liability before any deductions are charged, and it requires the landlord to return the deposit within 30 days after the tenancy ends once you provide a forwarding address. A landlord who fails to hold the deposit properly and does not provide an itemized list of damages loses the right to keep any of it. Get the deposit terms, the account disclosure, and any move-in notes in writing so you have leverage if a dispute arises later.