At BoligPortal, we take extensive measures to ensure that you can search for housing safely. We validate all listings before they are published on the website and have phone contact with all new landlords on the site. This helps ensure that both the property and the landlord are genuine.
Read more about landlord validation here.
Good advice for a safe housing search
Below, we go through some of the typical signs of fraud or scams in rental housing. However, please note that this is merely a guideline and does not necessarily mean that the landlord is not genuine.
We always recommend that you follow your instincts and avoid making rushed decisions when renting a property. If you are unsure about a landlord’s behavior, we recommend that you ask questions and request clarification in the communication.
Never transfer money before you have viewed the property and signed a valid rental contract.
Be cautious during communication with the landlord if ...
- The landlord writes in very poor English
- The landlord tries to avoid communication through BoligPortal
- The landlord pressures you to rent the property
- You receive an SMS showing a name instead of a phone number
If you suspect that you are not in contact with the actual landlord, it’s a good idea to check who the real owner is. You can do this at ois.dk.
Please note that the person renting out the property is not always the owner – for example, in the case of subletting, where the tenant rents out the property. In this case, it’s a good idea to inquire about the ownership details and potentially contact the actual owner to confirm the sublease.
Be cautious when viewing the property if ...
- The landlord refuses or tries to avoid showing you the property
- The landlord seems overly eager to rent out the property quickly
- The landlord wants you to sign a rental contract immediately without the chance to review it
Be cautious when receiving a rental contract if ...
- The landlord wants you to transfer money before you have seen the property and signed the rental contract
- You haven’t had the opportunity to review the contract thoroughly
- There are verbal agreements from the viewing that are not included in the contract
- The rental contract is not a Typeformular A10 document
A rental contract is a legally binding document that you should only sign after thoroughly reviewing it. Otherwise, you risk being held liable for something you did not agree to.
In Denmark, Typeformular A, 10th edition is the legally valid rental contract format. Therefore, make sure that the landlord uses this type of form. You will find this indicated in the top right corner of the first page of the rental contract.
We recommend that you always have someone else read your contract for you to ensure that you haven’t overlooked anything.
As a prospective tenant, you are always welcome to question the terms of the rental agreement. It's better to ask the landlord one time too many than one time too few when you’re about to sign the contract.
Be cautious when paying deposits, pre-paid rent, and rent if ...
- The landlord asks you to pay any amounts in cash
- The landlord asks you to transfer money via online payment services, such as Western Union
- The landlord asks you to transfer amounts that do not match the amounts stated in the rental contract
Never pay deposit, rent, or other amounts in cash. Instead, make a regular bank transfer (not an instant transfer) so that the transaction can be traced and potentially reversed by the bank in case something goes wrong.
We do not recommend transferring the deposit or pre-paid rent via MobilePay or other online payment services, as these often cannot be refunded by your bank in case of fraud.
Do you experience one or more of the above scenarios with a landlord?
At BoligPortal, we always want to be informed if you don’t feel safe and secure as a tenant. You can find our contact details here.