Rental scams in the Netherlands: avoid and report fraud

Before you pay, verify the home and whether it may be rented out

Before making any payment for a rental in the Netherlands, look at the home and verify the owner, the permission to rent it out, the contract and the payment details. A viewing by itself, or a bank-account name that matches, does not show that the rental is real. If someone prevents you from doing these checks, stop the payment. If you have already paid, contact your bank and keep the evidence. Ask the Politie (police) how to report the situation.

This guide is meant for people who think a rental home is fake, a landlord is not who they claim to be, or a payment request is intended to trick them. If the tenancy is genuine and you have a dispute, you may need another route. For search websites, viewing documents and the usual rental process, go to the guide to finding a rental in the Netherlands.

Checks before you pay

Complete the checks listed below before you pay rent, a deposit or a reservation amount. The check on an agency applies only if an agency is offering the home.

1. Look inside the home yourself, or have someone you trust look at it. The Fraudehelpdesk (fraud advice service) cautions that scammers can use a borrowed home or a short-let home and may hold keys. Keep checking even after a viewing.
2. Examine the advertisement. Use a reverse-image tool on the photos and look up the location in Street View. Search the address, phone number, email and name together with “review”, “scam” or “oplichting” (fraud). If the advert has been copied, the rent is unusually low, or the photos do not match the address, check further.
3. When an agency is offering the home, verify its registration. Look in the KVK (Kamer van Koophandel, Chamber of Commerce) Handelsregister (Business Register) for the trade name, registration number, public address and whether it is active. A paid extract may show the directors and who is allowed to sign contracts. In some cases, addresses may lawfully be kept hidden. Being registered by itself proves neither that the agency is honest nor that it has permission to rent out this home.
4. Verify the owner. You can order Eigendomsinformatie (ownership information) from the Kadaster (property register) web shop. The cost is €3.70 in 2026.
5. Check whether there is permission to rent out the home. An agent, a company, a co-owner or a property manager may be authorized to act. Request written proof and confirm it using contact details you found on your own.
6. Compare the owner or authorized agent, the contract and the person who is receiving the payment. A photo of an identity document may have been stolen. Phone the agency or owner using a number you found yourself.
7. Use the Politie seller check to check the IBAN (international bank account number), email, phone number or website. If the result shows known reports, stop the payment and verify the offer independently. Even a result with no known reports does not guarantee safety. The IBAN-Naam Check (account-name check) only confirms whether the name matches the IBAN. If there is a mismatch, pause and verify the explanation independently.
8. Read the whole contract. Check the address, the parties, the kale huur (bare rent, without service costs), the service costs, the deposit, the start date, the key handover and the signatures.

Once you have finished the checks, pay by bank transfer from your own account and keep the receipt. A cash payment with no receipt can be difficult to prove. Cryptocurrency, gift cards and money-transfer services can make it hard to recover your money.

After checking the offer, consult Dutch rental contracts explained before you sign. It explains contract types, deposits, rent changes and the documents both sides should keep.

Warning signs to look for in a rental offer

Photos that have been copied or rent that is unusually low

Scammers copy genuine adverts and sometimes reduce the price. The photos may look professional, and the address may be real. If the same photos show up with a different price, address or contact, stop the payment and verify the offer. A low rent by itself does not prove fraud.

An owner living abroad, no viewing, or pressure to pay

An owner who is abroad, or pressure to pay before a viewing, is a warning sign. Still do the viewing and the authority checks, even if someone promises keys by courier or through a platform after payment. Use the same checks for a paid viewing slot or a “refundable” holding payment. A contract file, a passport image or a platform logo by itself does not prove that the person is allowed to rent out the home.

Details about an agency and permission to sublet

A professional website, a KVK number or a real viewing can be copied or misused. Compare the website address, the business details and the person who signs, then contact the registered business independently. If the person is a tenant, ask whether the owner has given permission to sublet. Subtenants of rooms and subtenants of self-contained homes have different protections. If permission is missing, that does not by itself determine your rights. Check any statement that “you can never register” or “the owner must not know”. If a housing corporation owns the address, confirm the offer directly with that corporation.

Identity documents, contracts and registering your address

Ask why a copy of your identity document is needed, and give only the details that are necessary. Do not send a copy until you have verified who will receive it. Use the official KopieID (identity-document copy app) guidance. Where this is allowed, hide information that is not needed, such as your BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number). Put the recipient, purpose and date on it as a watermark. A landlord may ask for documents during screening. You still need to protect your data.

Rental agreements entered into on or after 1 July 2023 must be put in writing. The landlord must also provide written information about matters such as the deposit and how to make contact. Read the agreement before you sign.

If you are coming to live in the Netherlands for more than four months, you must register in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, Personal Records Database). Register with your gemeente (municipality) at your fixed home address. If you do not have a fixed home address, ask the gemeente about a briefadres (correspondence address). The gemeente decides whether you qualify. Being told “no registration” is a reason to check with the gemeente, but it is not proof of a criminal scam. Use the address-registration problems guide if registration is blocked.

Lawful rental charges

Even a genuine landlord or agency can ask for an unlawful charge. First make sure the home and the tenancy are real. Then find out what the payment is actually for; the name on the invoice does not determine whether the charge is allowed.

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Charge	Current rule	What to check or do
waarborgsom (security deposit)	For rental agreements entered into on or after 1 July 2023: at most 2 months’ bare rent. The landlord must return it within 14 days after the tenancy ends. With permitted deductions, the remaining amount must return within 30 days, with a written explanation and full cost statement.	Keep payment proof. Deductions are allowed only for damage you caused, unpaid rent, unpaid service costs or an unpaid energy-performance fee.
bemiddelingskosten (mediation fee)	If an agent offers the home for the landlord, it may not charge you for mediation. This applies even if the landlord pays the agent nothing. You can owe a fee if you commissioned a search for a home outside the agent’s offer. See the Rijksoverheid (Dutch government) mediation-fee rules.	Ask whom the agent represents and what service it provided. Prohibited mediation charges may be called administration, registration, contract or rental fees.
Registration or membership fee	A search-only housing website may charge an agreed subscription. Registration fees cannot hide prohibited mediation for the landlord. If the promised service is missing, seek advice about challenging the fee.	Check the organization, cancellation terms and promised service. A general register fee differs from a payment to reserve one unverified home. See the official rental-search fee guide.
Contract fee or sleutelgeld (key money)	A landlord may not charge for drawing up the rental contract or merely giving you the home. A reasonable charge for a real separate product or service can be allowed.	Ask for an itemized invoice and challenge a prohibited charge in writing.

Example: in 2026 you sign a rental agreement with a bare rent of €900 and service costs of €100 per month. The maximum deposit is €1,800: twice the €900 bare rent. The €100 service costs are not included in this calculation.

Getting back prohibited fees

As a rule, you can reclaim prohibited mediation fees within five years after paying them. For sleutelgeld, the time limit is also five years. In a genuine tenancy, Juridisch Loket (legal advice service) advises you to ask for repayment after signing the contract. If you ask earlier, the landlord may choose another tenant. Its fee guide includes a sample letter. It explains when you can use a dispute committee or go to court.

The free personal advice from Juridisch Loket is intended for people with a low income and little savings, though there are some exceptions. Check the Juridisch Loket eligibility rules.

To make a recovery claim, you need to be able to identify a person or business. Even if a fee might later be reclaimed, keep checking a suspicious offer before you pay.

Getting help after you have paid or shared an identity document

Warning

Contact your bank if you made a suspicious payment

Contacting your bank quickly may reduce further loss. Call using your bank’s official number or app. Ask whether the bank can stop the payment, request that it be returned, or trace where it went. Follow the bank’s fraud instructions. Stop communicating with the scammer. Do not send more money, even if it is described as a refund fee, tax, release fee or key delivery. There is no guarantee that you will get your money back.

Keep all of these records for your bank and the police:

• Save the complete advert, the advert number, the website link, screenshots, photos and the platform profile.
• Export or save the entire conversation by email, WhatsApp, Messenger or the platform. Keep the dates and times.
• Keep the contract, invoices, proof of payment, IBAN, account name, phone numbers, email addresses and website address.
• Write a short timeline. Note the address where you viewed, the people who were present, and the contact details you checked independently.

Keep evidence involving identity documents private. Later, the police may ask through an official channel for a signed report, an identity copy, a bank statement or messages. Before sending anything, verify unexpected requests through an official police contact.

Use the Politie internet-fraud decision helper or call 0900-8844 to ask which reporting route is right for your rental case. From outside the Netherlands, call +31 34 357 8844. The online route called “paid but received nothing” covers purchase-and-sales fraud. Check whether your rental case fits that route. The online form requires DigiD (Dutch digital identity). The police check reports for connections to other cases, but not every report leads to an investigation.

For reports of purchase-and-sales fraud that qualify, the bank may ask the recipient to repay. If the recipient has not repaid you after 21 days, the bank may give you the account holder’s name, address and place of residence. You may use those details only for a civil court claim to recover the money. Ask your bank and the police whether your rental case qualifies. The protocol does not provide an automatic refund.

Also use the Fraudehelpdesk rental-fraud service, particularly if you sent a copy of an identity document. It offers advice for your situation, including the risks of identity misuse. Your report helps it spot new scams and warn others. Making a report does not guarantee that you will get your money back.

If you do not understand Dutch well, ask the police for a free interpreter when you report the crime or are questioned. These victim rights also apply if you live outside the Netherlands or do not have Dutch residence status.

Where to report different problems

Suspected fraud and problems in a genuine tenancy require different reporting routes. Use the row that fits your problem. Each service has different powers.

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Problem	First route	What that route can do
A fake home, false authority to rent it out or deceptive payment request	Bank first, then Politie via its decision helper or 0900-8844, and Fraudehelpdesk.	Try to limit payment loss and record possible crime. Reports can connect cases. Repayment and investigation are not guaranteed.
Intimidation, discrimination, an excessive deposit or prohibited landlord or agent conduct	Your gemeente’s meldpunt goed verhuurderschap (landlord-conduct reporting point). See the Rijksoverheid renting steps.	The gemeente can investigate and enforce the Wet goed verhuurderschap (Good Landlordship Act). Call 112 in immediate danger. Discuss non-emergency threats with Politie.
Rent or service-cost dispute in a genuine tenancy	Check whether the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) route covers your tenancy and issue.	The Huurcommissie decides only matters within its powers. The kantonrechter (subdistrict court) may be the route if it cannot decide your issue.
Deposit dispute in a genuine tenancy	Ask Juridisch Loket for advice about recovery. The Huurcommissie does not decide deposit disputes.	The kantonrechter can decide a repayment claim. The gemeente may also act against prohibited landlord conduct.
Illegal sublet or a housing-corporation home offered without permission	Verify with the owner or housing corporation and use the relevant municipal reporting channel.	Your report can help address housing fraud. Your rights depend on whether you rent a room or a self-contained home and on other conditions.

If you have a charge or dispute in a genuine tenancy, use the relevant guide on deposits or legal help:

• Getting your rental deposit back in the Netherlands
• Free and subsidised legal help in the Netherlands

Official Sources

• Fraudehelpdesk: Woonplek gevonden? Check voordat je huurt! - rental-fraud warning signs, reverse-image and address checks, viewings, borrowed homes, foreign accounts and the advice not to pay before checking
• Fraudehelpdesk: Ik heb iets gehuurd - what to do after paying for a rental that is not delivered, including help when identity documents were shared
• Politie: Check vooraf om internetoplichting te voorkomen - searching an IBAN, email, phone number or URL; known-report warnings and the limit that no known reports do not guarantee safety
• Politie: Slachtoffer van internetoplichting? Doe aangifte! - online purchase-and-sales-fraud report categories and police updates after ten weeks and no later than six months
• Politie: Aangifte van internetoplichting — niets ontvangen - the decision helper, DigiD route and 0900-8844 appointment route for cases in which someone paid but received nothing
• Politie: Gegevens nodig bij aangifte van internetoplichting - advert, contact, payment and social-profile details to preserve, plus documents the police may request later for an investigation
• Politie: Internetoplichting en opsporingsonderzoek - that every report is checked for leads and connections but not every report results in an investigation
• Politie: Wat doet de bank na aangifte van aan- of verkoopfraude? - the limited 21-day account-holder-data protocol for qualifying purchase-and-sales-fraud reports and its civil-claim purpose
• Politie: 0900-8844 bellen vanuit het buitenland - the +31 34 357 8844 police number for callers outside the Netherlands
• Kadaster: Eigendomsinformatie - the €3.70 web-shop price in 2026 and the registered owner and rights shown by ownership information
• KVK: Geregistreerd in het Handelsregister - the public Business Register search and the basic company information it provides
• KVK: Check via uittreksel - the difference between free basic search results and a paid extract with officers and signing authority
• Betaalvereniging Nederland (Dutch Payments Association): IBAN-Naam Check - matching an account name to an IBAN, mismatch warnings and the limits of that check
• Rijksoverheid: Veilige kopie identiteitsbewijs - using KopieID, hiding unnecessary details and adding the recipient, purpose and date as a watermark
• Rijksoverheid: Documenten meenemen naar een bezichtiging - documents a landlord may ask for at a viewing and the advice to redact the BSN on an ID copy
• Rijksoverheid: Bemiddelingskosten bij een huurwoning - when a tenant may owe an agent and when landlord-side mediation, administration, registration or contract fees are prohibited
• Rijksoverheid: Extra kosten bij een huurcontract - the two-month deposit limit, 14- and 30-day return rules, permitted deductions, key money and contract charges
• Rijksoverheid: Regels voor verhuurders en verhuurbemiddelaars - Good Landlordship Act duties, written agreements, tenant information, deposits and municipal reporting points
• Rijksoverheid: Stappenplan woning huren - current renting steps and the division between municipal reporting points, the Huurcommissie and the subdistrict court
• Rijksoverheid: Wanneer inschrijven in de BRP? - the duty to register at a fixed residential address and when a correspondence address may be possible
• Juridisch Loket: Bemiddelingskosten - reclaiming prohibited mediation or key-money charges, the five-year period and dispute or court routes
• Juridisch Loket: Onderhuur - the different legal positions of room and self-contained subtenants and the conditions that apply
• Fraudehelpdesk: Opgelicht? Laat de schuld bij de dader! - contacting the bank quickly because a payment can sometimes still be stopped; stopping contact and further payments
• Fraudehelpdesk: Veelgestelde vragen - personal fraud advice, possible recovery routes and how reports reveal new fraud methods
• Juridisch Loket: Hoe we werken - income and asset conditions for free personal advice, including exceptions
• Huurcommissie: Huurder sociale- en middensector - rent and service-cost disputes within its powers; deposit and contract questions are outside its remit
• Staatsblad (government gazette): Wet goed verhuurderschap - legal text for written rental agreements, municipal reporting and enforcement, and deposit limits, return periods and permitted deductions
• ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt, Authority for Consumers and Markets) ConsuWijzer (consumer advice service): Kosten bij het zoeken van een huurwoning - agreed subscriptions for search-only rental websites, misleading service claims and prohibited landlord-side mediation fees
• DigiD: About DigiD - DigiD as the Dutch digital identity used to log in to public services
• Volkshuisvesting Nederland (Dutch government housing portal): Huurbescherming en huurcontracten - a rental agreement can be entered into orally before it is recorded in writing; since 1 July 2023, written recording is required
• bunq: When will my payment arrive? - asking the bank to recall a sent transfer and using transaction identifiers to trace a payment with the receiving bank
• Federal Trade Commission (US consumer-protection authority): Avoid a scammer’s money grab during Older Americans Month - practical recovery limits for money transfers, gift-card payments and cryptocurrency payments to scammers
• Western Union: Dutch fraud-awareness brochure (PDF, 769 KB) - warnings against sending rental deposits through its service and the difficulty of obtaining a refund once funds have been paid out
• Betaalvereniging Nederland: IBAN-Name Check (English) - the official English institution name Dutch Payments Association and its explanation of account-name checking
• Politie: Wat zijn mijn rechten bij aangifte doen? - If you do not understand Dutch well, ask the police for a free interpreter when reporting the crime or being questioned. These victim rights also apply if you live outside the Netherlands or have no Dutch residence status.