Safety tips for flat hunters

We often get calls from users asking about security when using FindaFlat. As with any form of online dealing, it's always important to be careful when renting or letting a property. Here are some of the most regularly asked questions and our advice on how to stay safe.

Do you pre check advertisers?

FindaFlat is a classified listings website rather than a letting agency. We provide an advertising space which allows users to quickly place and view adverts and it would not be practical or user-friendly to reference check every advertiser on the site. We do, however, take the safety of our users very seriously and take various measures to prevent any scammers from advertising on the site or contacting other users. Please read on for details of what we do to protect you and how you can further protect yourself.

What we do to protect you

We have systems in place (both manual and automated) which pick up on the majority of attempted scams, preventing scammers from sending messages or placing adverts. This level of protection requires considerable time and money to maintain, FindaFlat devotes a considerable amount of staff hours and financial investment to protect users in this way.

Although the odd scam does slip through the net this is very rare and, as we educate our users, they will usually bring it to our attention immediately so that we can remove the offender and warn other users of their activities.

Only registered users are able to contact you through FindaFlat, making them subject to our various checks.

What you can do to keep yourself (and your money) safe

Be vigilant and use your common sense, if something seems too good to be true it usually is! You should exercise particular caution if:

Always try to view flats before committing to anything, ask to see a copy of the tenancy agreement and ask which tenancy deposit scheme the landlord will be using before handing any deposit over.

Although it is important to remember that the vast majority of people are honest it is also important to be aware of your personal safety and follow a few rules to avoid potentially unsafe situations when going to view properties on your own.