A familiar agency name can still be impersonated
Rental scams may copy a real agent's branding, staff names and listings. Finding the company on a register is only the beginning: you must connect the person, email, property and payment account to the genuine agency.
Use the PSRA register and the agency's independently located website or phone number. Do not rely on the contact route supplied in the urgent message, because that route may lead back to the impersonator.
- Property address and viewing evidence
- Agent name and PSRA licence
- Letting-company number and office details
- Landlord, deposit holder and beneficiary
What the PSRA and company checks each add
The PSRA licenses and regulates estate agents, letting agents and property management agents. A current licence is the relevant regulatory check for an agent. The company report separately shows the corporate entity, available directors, filing history and identity details.
Match both sources to the tenancy paperwork. If the licence belongs to one business while another entity requests payment, require a documented explanation confirmed by the licensed provider.
Control the deposit before it leaves your account
The RTB advises paying a deposit only after you are satisfied with the property and rental terms, avoiding cash where possible and obtaining a signed dated receipt. It should also be clear who holds the deposit and who is responsible for returning it.
Confirm bank details by telephone through a trusted number. Pressure to pay immediately, refusal to provide terms, unusual cash requests or a beneficiary unrelated to the landlord or agent justify stopping the transaction.
- Know the rent, deposit and proposed start date.
- Get the landlord's contact details.
- Record who holds and returns the deposit.
- Keep a receipt naming the recipient.
When a company report helps a renter
The free profile can verify an incorporated agency. Order the full report when the payment is large, the company is unfamiliar or corporate identity details are inconsistent and you need directors and filing history documented.
The report cannot prove property ownership, agent authority or the authenticity of the person messaging you. Combine it with PSRA, RTB, property, landlord and payment checks.