Student Accommodation Scams Cost Millions Every Year. Here's How to Protect Yourself.

Let me tell you about Sarah.

She found a "perfect" room in Manchester. £120/week, bills included, close to campus. The "landlord" seemed nice on WhatsApp. He just needed a £400 deposit to secure it.

She sent the money. He disappeared. The property didn't exist.

Sarah lost £400 she couldn't afford to lose. And she's not alone.

Scammers steal millions from students every year. International students are particularly vulnerable - they're desperate for housing, unfamiliar with UK systems, and often can't view properties in person.

I've compiled every scam pattern I could find. Read this before you send money to anyone.

The 7 Most Common Scams

🚨 Scam #1: The Deposit Grab

How it works:

1. You find a listing that looks too good to be true
2. "Landlord" says there's high demand
3. You need to pay deposit NOW to secure it
4. Money sent. Landlord gone. Property doesn't exist.

Red flags:

• Urgency ("other people viewing today")
• Can't view the property first
• Payment by bank transfer or cryptocurrency
• No proper tenancy agreement
• Landlord is "abroad" and can't meet

"The listing was on a legitimate site. The photos were real (stolen from Rightmove). Everything seemed fine until I tried to move in and the real owner had no idea who I was."

🚨 Scam #2: The Cloned Website

How it works:

1. Scammer copies a real accommodation provider's website
2. URL is slightly different (unife-students.com instead of unitestudents.com)
3. You "book" and pay
4. Real provider never receives anything

Red flags:

• URL spelling mistakes
• No padlock (https) in browser
• Payment methods don't match the real site
• Prices significantly lower than official site

🚨 Scam #3: The Double-Let

How it works:

1. Scammer finds a property listed for rent
2. Creates their own listing with lower price
3. Multiple students pay deposits for the same property
4. Move-in day arrives. 5 people show up. None have legitimate contracts.

Red flags:

• Price is suspiciously low
• Landlord has keys but something feels off
• They can't provide proper documentation
• Viewing scheduled at odd times

🚨 Scam #4: The Phantom Listing

How it works:

1. Scammer creates listings for properties that don't exist
2. Uses photos stolen from other sites
3. Collects deposits from multiple victims
4. Disappears

Red flags:

• Reverse image search shows photos on other listings
• Can't find the property on Google Street View
• Address doesn't check out
• No other listings from this "landlord"

🚨 Scam #5: The Bait and Switch

How it works:

1. You view a nice property
2. You pay deposit
3. On move-in, you're shown a completely different (worse) room
4. "Take it or lose your deposit"

Red flags:

• Contract is vague about specific room
• No room number in paperwork
• Landlord is evasive about which room exactly

🚨 Scam #6: The Fee Stacking

How it works:

1. Legitimate-seeming agent
2. Charges "viewing fee" (illegal in England)
3. Charges "reference fee" (should be capped)
4. Charges "admin fee" (banned since 2019)
5. Hundreds of pounds extracted before you realize

Red flags:

• Any fee just to view a property
• Fees not clearly explained upfront
• Agent doesn't know that fees are illegal

🚨 Scam #7: The Fake Agent

How it works:

1. Scammer poses as agent for legitimate property
2. Shows you real property (has somehow obtained keys)
3. Collects deposit and first month rent
4. Vanishes. Real landlord has no record of you.

Red flags:

• Agent has no office or legitimate website
• Can't verify them with the property owner
• No professional accreditation
• Pressure to pay immediately

How to Protect Yourself

If You've Been Scammed

1. Report to Action Fraud - actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040
2. Contact your bank - They may be able to reverse transfers
3. Report to the platform - Rightmove, Zoopla, SpareRoom etc.
4. Tell your university - They track local scammers
5. Warn others - Reddit, social media, student forums

Safe Alternatives

These are verified, legitimate providers with proper deposit protection:

Browse verified properties →

This guide is based on real scam reports and advice from UK police, Citizens Advice, and university accommodation offices. January 2026.