Rental Scams on OnTheMarket
OnTheMarket is a UK property portal that lists properties exclusively through member estate agents and letting agents. The platform was founded by agents as an alternative to Rightmove and Zoopla, and its agent-only model means listings generally have a higher baseline of legitimacy. However, scams can still occur through off-platform impersonation.
Common Scam Types on OnTheMarket
Agent Impersonation Off-Platform
Scammers scrape listings from OnTheMarket and repost them on social media or classifieds sites, using a different phone number or email. Victims who find the scraped listing communicate with the scammer instead of the real letting agent.
Email Spoofing for Deposit Payments
After a legitimate rental agreement is reached through an OnTheMarket-listed agent, scammers send spoofed emails with altered bank details for the deposit transfer. The email appears to come from the agent but directs payment to the scammer's account.
Fake New-Build Scams
Scammers list properties from new-build developments that have not yet been completed, using CGI images and floor plans from the developer's website. They collect holding deposits for units that either do not exist yet or that they have no authority to let.
The Agents-Only Model Is Your First Layer of Protection
OnTheMarket differs from Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or Craigslist in one structural way that matters for fraud: it does not accept listings from private landlords or private sellers. Every property is uploaded by a paying estate or letting agent member, a policy dating to the portal's launch by traditional agents in 2015 (it has been owned by CoStar Group since December 2023). This means each listing is tied to a named, regulated business with a physical presence, not an anonymous individual who can vanish after taking a deposit.
In practice this filters out the crudest rental scams, where a fraudster invents a landlord persona and lists a property they do not control. It does not make the platform scam-proof. A criminal who compromises or impersonates a genuine agent's account, or who copies a real agent listing to lure you into contact off-platform, can still surface through OnTheMarket. Treat the agent branding as a starting point to verify, not proof of legitimacy on its own.
What To Do When a Listing Looks Wrong
Start by confirming the agent independently. Every OnTheMarket listing names the marketing agent and links to their branch page. Search that agency's own website separately (do not click through from any email), find their published phone number, and call to confirm the property, the address and the asking rent are genuinely theirs. Legitimate agents will happily confirm a listing and arrange an accompanied, in-person viewing; refusal to let you view before paying anything is a decisive red flag.
Use OnTheMarket's on-listing contact and reporting tools to raise concerns, and report the fraud itself to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, at actionfraud.police.uk. Home Office data drawn from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau recorded nearly 5,000 rental fraud reports in 2024, totalling almost 9 million pounds in losses, so your report adds to a case the authorities actively track. If you have already sent money, contact your bank immediately to attempt a recall, and keep every message, listing screenshot and payment record.
What OnTheMarket Does Not Protect You From
OnTheMarket lists properties and connects you to agents; it does not hold your money, escrow deposits, run tenant referencing or vet the financial conduct of a tenancy. Any payment you make happens entirely off the platform, directly to the agent or landlord, which is precisely where fraud losses occur. The portal has no visibility into and no liability for a transfer you make after you leave the site.
Your real financial safeguards come from the law, not the portal. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a holding deposit in England is capped at one week's rent, and if it is kept the agent must explain why in writing within seven days. Any demand above that cap, pressure to pay by bank transfer to secure a property sight-unseen, or a request to wire funds before a viewing should stop the transaction cold, regardless of how professional the listing appears.
Safety Tips for OnTheMarket
- ✓Verify that the letting agent is a member of OnTheMarket by checking the platform's agent directory.
- ✓Always confirm bank details by calling the agent's office directly using the number from OnTheMarket, not from an email.
- ✓Check the agent's credentials with The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme.
- ✓Be cautious with new-build listings -- verify directly with the developer's sales team.
- ✓Never pay deposits based solely on email instructions without verbal confirmation.
How to Report Scams on OnTheMarket
Contact OnTheMarket's support team to report suspicious listings. For fraud involving financial loss, report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.
Report a Scam →OnTheMarket Scam Risk Level
Low RiskOnTheMarket is rated as low risk for rental scams due to its agent-based listing model. However, no platform is completely scam-proof. Scammers may clone OnTheMarket listings onto other platforms, so always verify through the official listing.
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