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Two lifelong friends were left devastated after paying £8,000 for what they believed was a rental flat in north London, only to discover the property was actually listed as a short-term holiday let. The women, identified as Sarah and Amy (not their real names), signed a lease agreement following an in-person viewing of a flat in Chapel Market, Islington. However, on their moving day, they were shocked to find the place was not a conventional rental but a holiday accommodation.
Originating from Surrey and Hampshire, Sarah and Amy are reportedly among about 20 individuals who have fallen victim to a scam involving the same property. Sarah recounted the frustrating experience, stating, “I went to the property with my mum with all of my belongings – I knocked on the door and no one came.” She admitted she had never encountered a situation like this before and struggled to understand how it could occur. Amy shared their disappointment: “We were so excited to live together. We had both packed up our lives to move in, we were fortunate to have family homes to move back into.”
Earlier in 2025, the pair had been searching for a place in London, eventually finding the flat at an attractive price. Directed to a letting agent, they arranged an in-person viewing that Sarah attended while Amy joined via video call. To secure the property, they paid a total of about £8,000, which covered a six-week deposit and three months’ rent upfront. However, when Sarah arrived to collect the keys, no one answered the door for an hour until a cleaner finally appeared, informing them the flat was designated for holiday lets.
The women later connected with others who had lost money on the same property and have since warned the public about what they describe as a “sophisticated fraud.” The scammers had apparently stolen both the landlord’s and a letting agency’s identities to deceive prospective tenants. Sarah and Amy pointed out that the individuals they spoke with seemed genuine and the rental process closely resembled a legitimate tenancy arrangement.
Alison Farrar, lead officer for property and lettings at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, explained how scammers can operate efficiently, saying, “If a scammer decides to rent a property for a week and pack in appointments, in theory they could be seeing a person an hour.” She recommended caution, noting, “A genuine landlord or agent will not put pressure on you. So if they are, ask even if it isn’t a scam why they are doing it.”
Helen Maguire, MP for Epsom and Ewell, commented on the wider implications, stating, “This case exposes a serious loophole in the tenancy deposit system, where renters can be given false reassurance by official-looking certificates that offer no real protection.” She pledged to continue urging the government to strengthen safeguards to prevent people from losing substantial sums to fraudulent schemes.
After reporting the scam to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), Sarah and Amy were able to recover nearly all of their money, apart from a small administrative fee. Authorities have confirmed multiple reports of rental fraud cases between January and July 2025, and the Metropolitan Police are currently investigating the matter
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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