MAAR has been made aware of a rental scam targeting prospective renters.
Fake rental listings once common on Craigslist and Facebook have made their way to TikTok. CNC Intelligence reviewed 3,141 rental listings across 16 U.S. cities and discovered the following:
- 68% of reviewed TikTok listings carried scam warning signs – an asking price far below what the property actually rents for, a home that's listed for sale instead of rent, a phone number being used by several accounts across multiple cities, etc.
- Out of the 2,791 listings CNC Intelligence could price check, 2,216 were at least 25% below market rate. Half of these were less than half the going rate.
- 174 listings advertised homes that public records show are currently for sale, not rent.
- 76% of the listings included a phone number with an area code that did not match the advertised city.
- At the time of this survey (Aug. 2026), half of the reviewed accounts were less than six months old, and 72 accounts were less than two weeks old.
- Before a viewing could be scheduled, a $60 payment was required, plus the completion of a form asking for personal information (date of birth, income, criminal record, eviction history, etc.).
Please be cautious if you or your clients encounter:
- Requests for payment before viewing a rental property.
- Fees to schedule or access a property showing.
- Rental listings that seem unusually priced or have limited property information.
- Rental listings for different cities that use the same phone number (with an area code that doesn't match either location).
If you encounter a suspected rental scam:
- Do not send money or personal information.
- Verify the listing and the identity of the person advertising the property through trusted sources, including FOREWARN, which is an included tool as part of your MAAR's membership.
- If you suspect REALTOR®'s name or credentials are being misused, notify the REALTOR® and/or their brokerage immediately and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
Remember: Encourage your clients to use a trusted REALTOR® and fact-check any listing that seems too good to be true online.